It’s official — Malacañang still can’t fully explain the controversial statement that President Rodrigo Duterte uttered in his speech in China.
On Thu, Oct 20, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People that was attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, Duterte had supposedly said, “I’ve realigned myself in your [China] ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines, and Russia. It’s the only way.”
Duterte then added, “With that, in this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States. I have separated from them. So I will be dependent on you for all time. But do not worry. We will also help as you help us.”
READ: Duterte on what he’ll say to Putin: ‘There are 3 of us against the world — China, PH, and Russia’
On Fri, Oct 21, reporters were naturally eager to seek a clarification of the said statements from the Palace.
However, a Rappler report indicates that Presidential Communications Office (PCO) assistant secretary Marie Banaag could only say, “We should not make any interpretations yet and it can wait. Let’s not make any haka-haka (guesses) muna (yet) about it because once the paper is in, I don’t think there is a need for us to make haka-haka on that. Because once the paper is out already on that matter, then it would be clear anong direction ang tatahakin natin (what direction we will be taking).”
Banaag added, “We still have to wait for guidelines. There is no rush for us to interpret the speech of the President. As to the speech of the President, we have to wait for the guidelines coming from him, coming from Department of Foreign Affairs as soon as they come back.”
