President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is challenging former Supreme court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate regarding the issues surrounding the West Philippine Sea.
In his late-night address to the nation on Wednesday night, Duterte said he only has three questions for Carpio, who is also a lawyer like him.
“Pareho man tayo abogado. Gusto mo magdebate tayo?,” Duterte said. “Mga dalawa, tatlong tanong lang ako. Sino ang nagpa-retreat? At anong ginawa ninyo after sa retreat? Nag-file ng kaso. Ngayon nanalo. Ma-enforce ba natin?”
Duterte said he will resign once his story about the Scarborough Shoal standoff is proven false.
"Maski sinong abogado tanungin ninyo, 'yan ang nangyari. Ngayon kung ako ay nagsisinungaling, mag-resign ako bukas kaagad. 'Yan ang garantiya ko sa inyo," he said.
The President also reiterated his earlier remarks saying it was Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario who let China keep its presence in the country’s territorial waters during the Aquino administration.
The two former government officials were at the forefront of the country’s bid against China, which claims the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier this week, Duterte said he never promised that he would retake the West Philippine Sea during his presidential campaign in 2016.
This was slammed by Carpio, calling his denial as 'grand estafa.'
“President Duterte cannot now say that he never discussed or mentioned the West Philippine Sea issue when he was campaigning for President,” Carpio said.
“Otherwise, he would be admitting that he was fooling the Filipino people big time. There is a term for that—grand estafa or grand larceny. Making a false promise to get 16 million votes,” the former magistrate added.
