Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (INQUIRER.net PHOTO)
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian wants the government to once and for all clarify President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated call for an independent foreign policy, which according to him has become a “buzz word” but without details.
Gatchalian, who belongs to the majority bloc in the Senate, on Wednesday said all concerned departments should explain whether the scope of this independent foreign policy included military capacity building and economics.
“So it needs clarification. I think the administration should clarify how far and how wide is that independent foreign policy,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
He said he supported the call for a Senate hearing to seek clarity on the country’s stand on different foreign policy issues amid Duterte’s confusing pronouncements.
READ: Senators seek clarification on Duterte’s foreign policy stance
“I think for clarity and para sa ating lahat gusto nating malaman ang detalye ng independent foreign policy. Right now, that’s the buzz word but in terms of details, in terms breadth, in terms of lawak (scope), gaano kalawak ba itong independent foreign policy, we have to know that,” Gatchalian said.
“It will be good to discuss about it.”
For the senator, “independence” meant the Philippines had to stand on its own economically and “militarily” in the future. He said the country must have the capability to do it.
“That’s why we need details on how to do it. Hindi siguro natin magagawa ’yan next year but what’s the time frame? Are we looking at five years, 10 years, maybe 20 years? So clarity is what is important right now,” he said.
Sen. Bam Aquino reiterated his call for the Senate to look into the country’s foreign policy following Duterte’s statement that he wanted all foreign troops out of the Philippines in two years.
READ: No more foreign troops in PH in 2 years–Duterte
“Magandang i-clarify yan. Ako kasi chairman of trade and industry ako before, so definitely kaya kong sabihin na naghahanap tayo ng mas marami pang investments, naghahanap ang Filipino ng marami pang high paying jobs, so kailangan nating pangalagaan yung ekonomiya,” Aquino said in a separate interview.
“Pero pagdating sa military palagay ko ’yun ang pwedeng klaruhin pa ng ating mga military officials. Ano ba talaga ’yung plano nila kung magpu-pullout yung ibang troops sa ating bansa?” he added.
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