By Prince Golez
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo defended President Rodrigo Duterte from those who called him a coward for backing out of debate with retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio on the West Philippine Sea.
“Hindi kaduwagan iyan. Unang-una, wala na ngang pagdedebatehan. Masyadong klaro eh. Klarong-klaro ang posisyon,” Panelo said in his online commentary show “Counterpoint.”
He was reacting to the Twitter hashtag #DuterteDuwag” which trended after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that Duterte heeded the advice of his Cabinet not to face Carpio in a debate.
The abogado said a formal debate is not needed since Duterte and Carpio have been releasing public statements on the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the WPS.
“Noong sinabi ni Presidente, iba ang aking naiisip. Hindi naghahamon si Presidente ng debate. Bakit pa siya maghahamon ng debate? Eh nagdedebate na nga in a way,” he added.
Last May 5, Duterte challenged Carpio to a debate on the 2016 arbitral award that ruled in favor of Manila in its historic case against Beijing over the sea region.
A day after the Presidente made the dare, the former magistrate “gladly” accepted the debate challenge.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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