President Rodrigo Duterte wants to invite former Philippine chief executives for a discussion on the country’s West Philippine Sea dispute with China, Malacañang said on Thursday.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte wanted to consult various people on the territorial dispute instead of convening the National Security Council (NSC).
“Iniisip niya imbitahin ang mga dating mga presidente, ilang mga personalidad para magkaroon ng isang pagpupulong to discuss the issue,” Roque said in a virtual presser.
Duterte earlier invited former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile to Malacanang to talk about the West Philippine Sea and his foreign policy.
But Roque said nothing was final yet, as the president was still considering other “alternatives” to convening the NCS.
“Ang tingin po niya, iyong mga karanasan nga niya sa NSC e walang resolusyon na nangyayari, so parang bakit pa e puwede naman po iyan through informal consultations,” he said.
Roque also claimed anew that members of the opposition were sensationalizing the West Philippine Sea issue.
“Sa ngayon po, wala pong confusion. Ang confusion ay dahil pinapasukan ng pulitika ng kritiko ng administrasyon iyong isyu ng West Philippine Sea. Pero malinaw po, walang nawalang teritoryo sa panahon ni Presidente Duterte at patuloy na pinaninindigan ng ating presidente ang soberenya at ang sovereign rights ng ating bayan,” he said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro