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Duterte flip-flops on foreign policy 'very dangerous' - law dean

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/10/23/20161019-duterte-china-3-rtr.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">President Rodrigo Duterte</div></figcaption></figure></div>Very dangerous. This is how the dean of San Beda Graduate School of Law describes President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s flip-flops on foreign policy.Speaking to radio DZMM, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino said there is a problem when President Rodrigo Duterte makes controversial statements on foreign policy only to have an underling, or himself, correct it later. &quot;Yung aking parating problema—magbibigay ang ating mahal na pangulo ng salita, pagkatapos may mga magka-clarify, or he himself clarifies that, and that for me is very dangerous in foreign policy,&quot; he told radio DZMM. (This had always been my problem—our beloved president would say something then somebody would clarify or he himself would clarify, and that for me is very dangerous in foreign policy.)Aquino said Duterte could easily correct the statement regarding a &quot;<a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/20/16/while-in-china-duterte-announces-separation-from-us">separation</a>&quot; with the United States if it had been a lower minister who had spoken.&quot;But if it is the President himself who says: &#x27;I now announce before this forum my separation from the United States. From now on, it shall be China, Russia, and the Philippines against the world.&#x27; How else do you interpret that? No matter how you interpret that, it&#x27;s very clear that what you mean is separation.&quot;The law dean noted the President&#x27;s powers on the country&#x27;s foreign policy has limits.First, he said, the President cannot enter into an agreement with any country if it violates the Constitution. &quot;Number 2, the powers of the President in respect to foreign affairs are also limited by the power of the Senate to concur in the ratification of treaties,&quot; he said. He added there are principles by which the republic was built and it may not be countered by any treaty the chief executive may enter.Aquino said the Philippines pursuing an independent foreign policy is not new, but is in fact required from each state. More importantly, he said independent foreign policy &quot;does not mean no alliances.&quot; &quot;Whether we like it or not, it is not the small countries that run the world,&quot; he said. He also argued it is not true that the Philippines is a blind follower of the US. He said the Philippine Senate voted against retention of US bases during the time of President Corazon Aquino. The second Aquino administration also ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court despite opposition from the US. &quot;So yes, maraming panahon sa history na tayong nakiisa sa United States kasi sila ay bahagi ng history natin, pero hindi naman tamang sabihin siguro na sa lahat ng bagay sunud-sunuran lang tayo,&quot; he said.(So yes, there are many instances in our history where we were united with the United States because they were part of our history, but it perhaps is not correct to say that we are subservient all the time.)<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M39rfcQNoaM" width="600"></iframe></figure>

Very dangerous. This is how the dean of San Beda Graduate School of Law describes President Rodrigo Duterte's flip-flops on foreign policy.

Very dangerous. This is how the dean of San Beda Graduate School of Law describes President Rodrigo Duterte's flip-flops on foreign policy.