Push Admin

Duterte may drop plans for huddle with ex-Presidents: spokesman

Article (news)

 Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<h2>Palace tells Robredo: Duterte&#x27;s China policy &#x27;working&#x27; </h2><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/24/20160727-malacanang-presidents-mnib1.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte (center) meets with former Presidents (from left to right) Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, and Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang on July 27, 2016, for a National Security Council meeting. Rey Baniquet, Malacanang Photo/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte might drop plans to consult his predecessors on China&#x27;s incursions in the West Philippine Sea because he is now &quot;satisfied&quot; that his foreign policy is &quot;correct and working&quot;, Malacañang said on Monday. Duterte mulled seeking the counsel of former presidents as an alternative to convening the National Security Council (NSC), said Palace spokesman Harry Roque. However, Duterte considered this option before he met with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who advised him last week to stay &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/17/21/juan-ponce-enrile-duterte-china-sea">friendly</a>&quot; with China, Roque said. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/17/21/enrile-tells-duterte-just-ignore-critics">Enrile tells Duterte: Just ignore critics of your policy vs China</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/19/21/juan-ponce-enrile-flip-flop-scarborough-shoal-china">From &#x27;assert our rights&#x27; to &#x27;don&#x27;t antagonize&#x27;: Enrile flip-flopped on Scarborough row, says journalist</a></li></ul>&quot;Mukha namang after JPE (Enrile) concurred that the President is pursuing the right policy on the West Philippine Sea, wala naman pong urgency na pag-usapan itong bagay na ito, either with the National Security Council or with the former Presidents,&quot; he said in a press briefing. (It appears that after JPE concurred that the President is pursuing the right policy on the West Philippine Sea, there is no urgency to talk about this issue, either with the National Security Council or with the former Presidents.) Asked if this meant Duterte would no longer huddle with his predecessors, Roque said: &quot;Iyon po ang impression ko.&quot; (That is my impression.) &quot;Ang impression ko po (my impression is), he’s satisfied that his policy on the West Philippine Sea is correct and is working,&quot; he added. Former senator and military chief Rodolfo Biazon said last week senators must urge Duterte to convene the NSC to clarify his administration&#x27;s <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/20/21/ex-lawmaker-military-chief-biazon-says-national-security-council-should-meet-over-west-ph-sea-issue">&quot;confusing&quot; stand</a> on the sea row with China. The NSC is an advisory body where the President discusses national security and foreign policy matters with relevant advisers and Cabinet officials. <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1691519" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Video courtesy of PTV</div>Duterte has refused to press Beijing to obey a 2016 ruling that junked its claims to almost the entire South China Sea, within which is the smaller West Philippine Sea. He instead pursued loans and investments from the economic superpower. But Manila&#x27;s maritime dispute with Beijing flared again in March after some 200 Chinese boats swarmed the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone in the waterway. Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday urged Duterte to initiate multilateral talks to gather support from other countries, instead of continuing bilateral negotiations with China. &quot;Matagal na pong pinapahayag ng mga eksperto na hindi makatutulong sa bansa natin ang bilateral talks with China kasi napakaliit natin kumpara sa kanila. Parang &#x27;di magiging patas, di patas yung standing,&quot; Robredo said in her weekly radio show.(Experts have said for so long that bilateral talks with China won&#x27;t help us because we&#x27;re too small compared with them. The standing is not equal.)&quot;Tingin natin, ma-equalize lang ang footing &#x27;pag meron tayong kakampi na pareho yung ipinaglalaban sa atin.&quot;(Our footing will be equalized if we had allies with similar concerns.)Roque disagreed, saying, &quot;The President&#x27;s policy has been working for the past 5 years.&quot;&quot;Matapos po ang halos 5 taon ng termino ng Presidente, wala po tayong nawalang teritoryo sa Tsina. Wala po tayong hidwaan sa Tsina,&quot; he said in a press briefing.(After almost 5 years of the President&#x27;s term, we did not lose any territory to China. We have no feud with China.)The President &quot;is the lone architect of foreign policy,&quot; he added Duterte earlier this May said the Philippine arbitral victory against China was a scrap of &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/06/21/duterte-china-arbitral-ruling-west-philippine-sea">paper</a>&quot; that could be thrown into the wastebasket. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/14/21/duterte-china-un-united-nationals-arbitral-ruling">Duterte says &#x27;comedy&#x27; if he turns to UN for help vs China on S. China Sea dispute</a></li></ul>He later said he would not withdraw ships from the West Philippine Sea, even at the expense of friendship with China.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/14/21/rodrigo-duterte-warning-china-kill-me-ships-west-philippine-sea">&#x27;Our friendship will end here:&#x27; Duterte tells China he won&#x27;t withdraw ships from West PH Sea</a></li></ul>

President Rodrigo Duterte might drop plans to consult his predecessors on China's incursions in the West Philippine Sea because he is now "satisfied" that his foreign policy is "correct and working", Malacañang said on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte might drop plans to consult his predecessors on China's incursions in the West Philippine Sea because he is now "satisfied" that his foreign policy is "correct and working", Malacañang said on Monday.

Duterte may drop plans for huddle with ex-Presidents: spokesman

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

Duterte may drop plans for huddle with ex-Presidents: spokesman

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 24, 2021 02:49 PM PHT

|

Updated May 24, 2021 03:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte China

Duterte sea

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

diplomacy

sovereignty

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.