Lawmaker Brother of Vice President Speaks up on Chinese Hostilities in West Philippine Sea
In a recent development, the brother of Vice President Sara Duterte, Rep. Paolo Duterte (Davao City, 1st District), has defended his sister against criticisms regarding her silence on the increased Chinese hostilities in the West Philippine Sea. Rep. Paolo Duterte argued that the Vice President should not condemn the recent assaults on Filipino vessels to avoid provoking China.
The issue stemmed from a recent incident where two Chinese coast guards blasted a Philippine vessel with water cannons, resulting in injuries to several Filipino navy crew members and damage to their wooden vessel. This has prompted the Philippines to lodge a strong protest against Beijing and summon Beijing’s charge d’affaires in Manila.
The Chinese foreign ministry defended the actions of their coast guard and mentioned that the Philippines should have stored away BRP Sierra Madre long ago. The Philippines has filed over a hundred diplomatic protests against China since June 2022, citing repeated attempts to block resupply missions and unauthorized activities in the West Philippine Sea.
While various officials, including the president, lawmakers, and security officials, have expressed concerns about Chinese aggression in the area, Vice President Sara Duterte, who also serves as the Department of Education secretary, has remained silent on the issue. Despite her active involvement in education policies and initiatives related to national security, Sara has not issued a statement regarding the recent Chinese hostilities.
Sara Duterte has been vocal on a range of local and national issues but has refrained from commenting on the tensions in the West Philippine Sea. As the situation continues to escalate, calls for stronger action from the Philippines are growing, with many urging respect for the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction in the region.
