THE next time politicians make promises, consider it just a joke. That is the lesson learned from President Rodrigo Duterte who in 2016 hinted at taking a Spratly-bound jet ski to assert sovereignty. Philippines’ claim against China was a “pure campaign joke” and he would have died had he honored it.
According to Duterte, there is no way anyone would be able to ride a jet ski to the Spratlys because there isn’t a place to refill fuel.
Citing the distance from mainland Palawan to the Spratlys, Duterte said he just might end up dead if he did. “I will be the late Rodrigo Duterte.“
The President addressed the jet-ski statement, which he made during a presidential debate, as Manila and Beijing are locked in a standoff over the presence of Chinese ships off reefs and shoals that are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
“Nagpa-plot ako kung saan ako magdaan… Ilan tangke ng jet ski? Pagtingin ko puro dagat wala ako makita gasoline station along the way, mahirap ito, dito tayo mamatay ng walang kakwenta-kwenta,” he said.
“Panahon sa kampanya yan, at saka yung biro na yun, yung bravado, yung bravado ko pure campaign joke at kung naniniwala kayo sa kabila pati na si Carpio, I would say that you are stupid,” he said.
Duterte was referring to former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, one of the loudest critics of his China policy. The president challenged the former justice to a debate on the West Philippine Sea last week and later backed out, offering instead his spokesperson to argue for him.