Sara’s silence on China not an issue—Marcos

PHOTO FROM SARA DUTERTE/FACEBOOK

WASHINGTON, DC — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday that he is not bothered by the silence of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on issues regarding China, saying that it is not her role to speak on these matters.

At a briefing with the Philippine media delegation here on Friday afternoon, Marcos said the Vice President, being part of his administration, is in line with its stand on China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Marcos affirmed that position in a joint statement together with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following their trilateral summit on Thursday.

READ: VP Duterte maintains her silence on West Phillipine Sea territorial row

She’ll just continue working’

“The Vice President is part of the government. Unlike before. But now she is really part of the administration, … the government’s agenda in this administration,” the President said.

He said “[it’s] not the role of the Vice President or the secretary of Education to talk about China. So I think we are all in line because I’m very sure that if Inday Sara had some very serious misgivings about what we are doing in terms of foreign policies, she would bring that [up] to me.”

“And she has not said anything. When we last talked, all she said was that she would continue working, that’s what she said. That’s a good policy. So, I don’t think it is something that we need to be concerned with,” he added.

READ: VP Sara told: ‘No comment’ on China’s bullying means ‘no love’ for PH‘

Stand on Quiboloy

Duterte has been notably silent on recent developments in the West Philippine Sea, saying she had “no comment,” particularly on the Chinese coast guard’s water cannon attacks on Philippine resupply missions at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal on March 5 and March 23.

Netizens and activists have since linked that phrase to the Vice President, with Akbayan president Rafaela David saying that Duterte’s noncommittal stand on China’s actions echoed the “dangerous depths of her allegiance” with Beijing.

Last week Duterte affirmed the position of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, that issues of foreign policy and security should be addressed only by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of National Defense.

But her critics noted, in contrast, the Vice President’s vocal support for pastor Apollo Quiboloy, amid the congressional inquiries into his alleged sex crimes and other offenses.