Filipinos remain in the dark on President Rodrigo Duterte’s next move amid increasing tensions with China over its vessels that remain in the West Philippine Sea.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday that Duterte is not obliged to let the public know of his next diplomatic initiatives as the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy.
“Ang larangan ng diplomasya, isang exception to freedom of information. Kung ano man ang ginagawa ng presidente, hayaan na lang nating gawin niya iyon sa pribadong paraan,” Roque noted. “Hindi naman po dapat inaanunsyo sa publiko ang diplomatic initiatives o anumang hakbang na ginagawa ng Pangulo.”
“Let’s leave the President to his devices,” he added. “Napakita naman po niya na so far in the past five years of his administration, we have moved from a position of antagonism with China to a position of friendship.”
In a separate statement, Roque asserted that the Duterte administration “has always been consistent in invoking Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights over West Philippine Sea.”
