If he hasn’t acquired one yet, perhaps someone should give Rodrigo Roa Duterte a Jetski so he can fulfill his campaign promise to ride one to the Spratleys where he would plant a Filipino flag. So far, our president has, contrary to our 1987 Constitution’s mandate that “The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens,” been shamefully second guessing China’s positions on the issues raised and already set aside in the UN Arbitral court. It is becoming difficult to hold our heads up among other nations when the President of our sovereign republic parrots the line of China, even on how we should deal with the brazen bullying of our fishermen and our once senior government officials former Foreign Secretary Del Rosario and former Ombudsman and Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio Morales.

Abesamis, T. S. (2019, June 26). Historically courageous people toadying up to China. BusinessWorld, p. S1/7.