Panelo slams US think tank: Don’t tell us what to do | Global News

Panelo slams US think tank: Don’t tell us what to do

By: - Reporter / @NCorralesINQ
/ 11:23 AM March 04, 2017

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. FILE PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief legal counsel on Saturday slammed a Washington-based think tank group for telling the chief executive to assert the country’s rights over the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“Hindi sila dapat nakikialam sa kung ano ang gusto ng Pilipinas. Tayo magdidikta kung kailan natin i-aassert,” lawyer Salvador Panelo said in an interview over state-run dzRB radio.

ADVERTISEMENT

(They should not be telling what the Philippines has to do. We should be the ones dictating when to assert it.)

On Friday, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia program senior adviser Ernest Bower said Duterte should assert the Philippines’ claim over the South China Sea using the arbitral tribunal’s ruling in the Hague.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: Duterte urged: Assert PH rights in South China Sea

“It’s what Filipinos want to do and I think the Philippines showed a lot of courage. It had nothing to do with Philippine domestic politics, it had to do with the Philippines’ sovereignty and the rest of Asia and I think the world admired the Philippines’ courage and leadership to take that case and get the decision and I believe President Duterte would be wise to follow through on it,” Bower said.

Panelo echoed Duterte’s earlier statements that the government would assert its right over the disputed territories during his term but not for now.

READ: Duterte says he’ll ‘set aside’ arbitral ruling on South China Sea

ADVERTISEMENT

The President said the Philippines would focus on rebuilding its strained relationship with China for now. IDL

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next
Don't miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

TAGS: Center for Strategic and International Studies, China, Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, Salvador Panelo, sea row, South China Sea, territorial dispute, US, West Philippine Sea
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our global news

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.



© Copyright 1997-2023 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.