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'Mag-aral ka muna,' Duterte tells Pacquiao on China policy

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John Gabriel Agcaoili, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/06/01/20181217-duterte-pacquiao-2-ho.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Sen. Manny Pacquiao at the latter&#x27;s birthday celebration at the KCC Convention and Events Center in General Santos City on Dec. 17, 2018. <em>Robinson Niñal Jr., Presidential Photo/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Sen. Manny Pacquiao should educate himself first before making comments on the Philippines&#x27; approach towards China amid tensions between the two countries, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.</p><p>In an interview with channel SMNI, Duterte said the boxer-senator should familiarize himself first with foreign policy before criticizing the President&#x27;s stance on Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>Pacquiao earlier said he found Duterte&#x27;s efforts to assert the country&#x27;s exclusive economic zone rights in the South China Sea as insufficient compared to his statements when he was still running for the top post 5 years ago.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/03/21/duterte-stance-against-china-weakened-2016-elections-pacquiao">Pacquiao: Duterte’s stance vs China waned after 2016 elections</a></li></ul><p>&quot;It&#x27;s about foreign policy. I would not want to degrade him (Pacquiao) but next time he should ... mag-aral ka muna ng husto (study well first),&quot; Duterte said after reading a question regarding the senator&#x27;s statement.</p><p>&quot;Apparently this guy has a very shallow knowledge of ...&quot; Duterte added before he trailed off.</p><p>Pacquiao criticized the Duterte administration&#x27;s foreign policy after the President reiterated his personal view that the Philippines cannot do anything about China&#x27;s claim in the disputed territories in the South China Sea, as he feared for a possibility of war. </p><p>An apparent rift between the two political allies seems to be growing between the two since Pacquiao opposed a meeting that pushed Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections.</p><p>Pacquiao, president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), earlier urged its members to ignore Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi&#x27;s call for an assembly. But it was revealed that it was Duterte, the party&#x27;s chairman, who instructed Cusi to lead the meeting. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/31/21/duterte-pdp-laban-2022-elections-vice-president">PDP-Laban national council votes to come up with resolution for Duterte&#x27;s VP bid</a></li></ul><p>The senator, one of the top prospects of PDP-Laban for the presidential elections in 2022, said in an interview with ABS-CBN&#x27;s Karen Davila that being a president is &quot;anointed by God&quot;, as reports that Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will run for the top post and succeed her father, President Duterte, surfaced.</p><p>Pacquiao also expressed his concerns on Duterte&#x27;s possible run for vice-president, saying it might not be good for the latter.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/07/21/pacquiao-to-sara-dutertes-supporters-give-others-a-chance-to-run-for-president-in-halalan-2022">Pacquiao to Sara Duterte&#x27;s supporters: Give others a chance to run for President in Halalan 2022</a></li></ul><p>Despite issues with party mates, the senator has said he won&#x27;t leave PDP-Laban and that he and Duterte still remain allies.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/01/21/2022-elections-duterte-pacquiao-pdp-laban">Duterte, Pacquiao remain allies despite friction over PDP-Laban meet: Palace</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><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=1677519" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>MANILA - Sen. Manny Pacquiao should educate himself first before making comments on the Philippines' approach towards China amid tensions between the two countries, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.</p>

MANILA - Sen. Manny Pacquiao should educate himself first before making comments on the Philippines' approach towards China amid tensions between the two countries, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.

'Mag-aral ka muna,' Duterte tells Pacquiao on China policy

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'Mag-aral ka muna,' Duterte tells Pacquiao on China policy

John Gabriel Agcaoili,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 08, 2021 10:11 PM PHT

Read More:

Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte

Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

China

foreign policy

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

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