Senators on Tuesday slammed President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s statement that he was only joking about his promised action to protect the country’s claim on the West Philippine Sea during his campaign. In another development, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio called on Mr. Duterte to retract his recent pronouncements relating to the West Philippine Sea and China to ensure that it does not become binding as policy.

Villegas, V. M. M., & Añago, B. A. D. (2021, May 12). Senators deplore President’s South China Sea ‘joke’ during campaign. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.