Bam Aquino hits Palace’s ‘flip-flopping’ on China, Benham Rise

Senator Bam Aquino slammed Malacañang on Thursday for flip-flopping on issues involving Benham Rise and China.

“Ang bilis namang nagbago ang ihip ng hangin sa Palasyo (How fast the winds change at the Palace),” Aquino said in a statement.

“Noong Miyerkules lang, nagprotesta tayo sa ginawang pagpangalan ng China sa ilang bahagi ng Benham Rise. Ngayon naman, wala nang bad faith ang China.”

(Just last Wednesday, they were protesting against the naming of China on some features of the Benham Rise. Now, they’re saying China has no bad faith.)

READ: Palace objects to China naming PH Rise features

“Bakit pabago-bago nang salita ang Malacañang tuwing isyu ng China at teritoryo ng Pilipinas?” he asked.

(Why is Malacañang always flip-flopping when it comes to the issue on China and the territory of the Philippines?)

Aquino, an opposition member, was reacting to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque’s statement this Thursday that they are not attributing “any bad faith” to China when the latter named five undersea features in the Benham Rise.

“We’re not attributing any bad faith to China, but we’re just saying respect us too that we will give Filipino names to them,” Roque said at a Palace briefing.

On Wednesday, however, the spokesman said the Philippines objects and does not recognize the Chinese names given to the five features.
READ: Roque: No ‘bad faith’ on China for naming PH Rise features

But for Aquino, the issue whether China acted in bad faith or not “remains to be seen.”

And the senator hopes to shed more light on the issue when the Senate conducts a hearing on February 26. /je