President Rodrigo Duterte claims he has sent out an invitation to former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to ask for his guidance on matters related to the West Philippine Sea.
Duterte said on Friday that “we have respectfully invited Senator Enrile to come here kasi hindi man ako puwedeng makalabas na mag-usap. Pakinggan natin siya,” adding that he hopes the former senator will be his guest during his Monday address.
“He was there right at the beginning. So sa kanya ako makinig kasi sa kanya ako bilib sa utak at pag-intindi nitong problema itong ating West Philippine Sea,” Duterte added.
During the past Cabinet meetings, Duterte has been constantly putting the blame on officials from the previous administration, stressing that their decision to withdraw Philippine vessels led to the current situation in the disputed waters, where over 287 Chinese ships were recently spotted.
The President likewise emphasized Manila will not pull its vessels out of the West Philippine Sea amid Beijing’s incursions.
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has also ordered the filing of another diplomatic protest against China.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines’ sovereign rights in areas of its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone that Beijing contests. China, however, has repeatedly rejected the landmark ruling.
