Former socioeconomic planning secretary Winnie Monsod is disappointed at President Rodrigo Duterte for continuing to treat China with kid gloves despite its aggression in the South China Sea.
Monsod, an economics professor at the University of the Philippines, disputed Duterte’s description of China as a friend.
“If China is our friend, we don’t need any more enemies,” she said in her June 29 column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Monsod said China has lied, betrayed and dissed the Philippines through the years in its bid to gain full control of the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea.
“In sum, China may be your personal friend, Mr. President, but in no way can you say that she is a friend of the Philippines,” Monsod said.
Reacting to the President’s recent pronouncement about allowing China to fish in the West Philippine Sea, Monsod said the Constitution is clear that waters included in the country’s exclusive economic zone are for Filipinos’ own benefit and enjoyment.
“What part of ‘exclusive’ don’t you understand, Mr. President?” she asked.
https://politics.com.ph/monsod-disses-duterte-for-soft-stance-on-west-ph-sea-if-china-is-our-friend-we-dont-need-enemies/