CHINA-PH RELATIONS

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday dismissed the Palace’s recent assertion tagging her as “pro-China,” firmly stating that she is “not pro any country at all.” Her remarks came after the Palace indicated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself had chided her for her perceived pro-China stance, following her critical comments on the administration’s foreign policy.

“They shouldn’t respond to the person asking by saying that I’m a pro-China person. They’ve been pushing that narrative for a long time, that I’m pro-China. I’m not pro any country at all,” Duterte said in a media interview. She further elaborated on her foreign policy philosophy: “What I always say is, we need to develop, we need to maintain, and we need to level up our relations with all countries, not just with China.”

Duterte reiterated her earlier question to President Marcos, probing the status of the country’s independent foreign policy. This query stems from the Philippines’ strengthened relations with the United States amidst its territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.

“Why would you side with a superpower just because you have a problem with another one? I mean, we have a problem with China, so why are we siding with the US?” she questioned, adding, “It’s like, have some dignity as a country.”

Previously, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro had stated on Tuesday that President Marcos Jr. anticipated such criticism from the Dutertes, saying, “The President said, ‘We expect that from the Dutertes because they are pro-China. At ang Pangulo po ay pro-Filipinos (The President is pro-Filipinos).”

On Sunday, Vice President Duterte had expressed disapproval of the United States’ deployment of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines. While in Australia, she remarked, “Iyong problema natin sa West Philippine Sea, does not make up our entire relations with China. And so, therefore, there is no reason for you to lean towards the US. You have to always stay in the middle because you are not a part of the bigger conflict.” She also voiced concerns that the Philippines is “ill-equipped for war or any global shock” due to what she perceived as the Marcos administration’s lack of plan and direction. “We are not prepared for drawing change, we are not prepared for war, we are not prepared for global shock because there is no plan at all, there is no vision at all,” Duterte had asserted.