MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said President Xi Jinping of China assured him that the latter would not let him get removed from office.
This did not sit well with some Philippine senators.
At the sendoff in Casiguran, Aurora for scientists bound for the Philippine Rise, Duterte said, “The assurances of Xi Jinping were very encouraging … ‘We will not allow you to be taken out from your office, and we will not allow the Philippines to go to the dogs.’”
“Siguro kasi dahil freely elected leader naman ako. It could be a very justified statement,” the Philippine president said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV believes whatever China assured it would do for Duterte is impossible.
“They (China) know that they don’t have the power to stop any leadership change from happening,” Trillanes said.
The staunch Duterte critic stressed that the President was “destabilizing” himself.
“But, more important, Duterte’s statement betrays his paranoia about the state of affairs in his own country,” said Trillanes.
“No one is trying to kick him out. He is doing the destabilizing all by himself,” the senator added.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan questioned the intent behind Duterte’s apparent dependence on China.
“Ang pahayag bang ito ang kapalit ng pananahimik ng administrasyon sa West Philippine Sea? Is this the reason why we are willing to enter into loans with China even if the interest rates are 4 to 5 times higher than that of Japan or South Korea? Is China support for this administration to ensure its iron clad grip on power? Whose interest is being pursued by depending on China? Is it the nation’s interest or the interest of those in power that is being pushed here?” Pangilinan said.
The Duterte administration – or whoever leads the Philippines – should draw strength and rely on Filipinos, not China, said Pangilinan.
“Shouldn’t we learn from the lessons of history? Marcos was ousted in 1986 despite the powerful backing of the US because the people wanted him out for failing to address widespread poverty and abuses in government while enriching himself and his family. Like the US in 1986, China will abandon him as President if he loses the support of our citizens,” he said./PN
