By John Ezekiel J. Hirro
Palace spokesman Harry Roque on Friday said he was in “debate mode” and was willing to debate retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio on issues raised by the former magistrate on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, who backed out of his own challenge.
In a statement, Roque maintained his willingness to debate Carpio despite the latter saying he did not want to discuss “pointless” issues with Duterte’s spokesman.
“We disagree with the assertion of Mr. Carpio when he said it is pointless to debate about Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef for he is the one who accused the president of committing grand estafa reminding the chief executive of the 2016 presidential debate where Scarborough Shoal was mentioned,” Roque said.
“This, and other issues raised by the retired magistrate, such as the president’s alleged setting aside of the 2016 arbitral award, the fishing agreement, among others, could be the parameters of the debate,” he added.
Roque also challenged former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and urged him to tandem with Carpio and debate him “to set once and for all the record straight at their designated time and venue.”
“Debate mode set. Bring it on,” Roque said.
Even as the president backed out of the debate, Roque said it might still be possible for Duterte and Carpio to face off, but in June 2022, when Duterte would no longer be in office.
“Much as (Duterte) wanted to debate with (Carpio), the chief executive heeded the advice of the Cabinet and decided to designate his spokesperson instead. Debating with Carpio is a demotion. A realization. This after the former Supreme Court justice expressed so much excitement. But perhaps come June 2022, we can have one,” Roque said.
Duterte challenged Carpio to a debate after the ex-magistrate’s criticisms of his downplaying of the country’s arbitral victory over China’s territorial claims at the West Philippine Sea.
In his latest public address, Duterte said he would throw away the victory of the Philippines over China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016.
Since the victory was awarded to the Philippines, Duterte had mostly been mum about the issue.
He asserted it, however, in September 2020 in a United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
“The award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon,” he said during his first UN address.
“We firmly reject attempts to undermine it,” he added.
But in his two latest public addresses, the president told his Cabinet members to not be rude or disrespectful to China. e said the Philippines was indebted to China for its vaccine donations.