(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte dared critics, including former Foreign Affairs chief Albert Del Rosario, to file an impeachment complaint against him as they raised the issue that he could be impeached for allowing Chinese fishermen to fish in the Philippines exclusive economic zone, including Recto Bank.
Duterte, who had previously explained how it was almost impossible to prevent China from going into the country’s EEZ, said that there had been a “mutual agreement” between the two countries on fishing on the disputed seas covered by the EEZ.
The President maintained it was not part of the country’s territorial waters, as only 12 nautical miles of seas from the shoreline is covered by this.
“I-impeach ako? Kulungin ko silang lahat. Subukan niyo. Try to take it, do it, and I will do it,” Duterte said on Thursday night in Malacañang when asked by reporters.
In an interview granted to reporters after the oath-taking of Senator-elect Christopher “Bong” Go, the President said he was not scared of impeachment threats made by critics and opposition senators.
“Kung takutin nyo ako ng impeachment. Sige, subukan mo…. Kung lalaki kayo at matapang at may bayag kayo, do it. (You scare me with impeachment…. Just try me, try me. If you are a man and you are brave and have balls, do it),” Duterte said.
“If not, they are cowards. Do it. I’m the one sacrificing here… You want me to send soldiers to war and have them killed? How about their families? Will you pay for their pension?”
“These fools, they are bright but they are not smart,” he added.
The former Department of Foreign Affairs secretary Del Rosario, and University of the Philippines professor and maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, had initially raised the issue that Duterte can be impeached for not preventing China from fishing in the Philippines’ EEZ.
This was after Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio issued a statement saying that the President’s move allowing foreign vesssels to fish in the country’s EEZ was against the Constitution.
-Del Rosario claims Duterte can be impeached-
Duterte had called Carpio “stupid” and had made a remark in passing later that Del Rosario’s use of a diplomatic passport for a private business trip was inappropriate. Del Rosario’s diplomatic passport was issued to him in courtesy as a former DFA chief.
Del Rosario backed Carpio’s statement that Duterte’s actions violated the Constitution.
“To be able to violate that is really a basis for impeachment of the president. He can be impeached,” said Del Rosario.
“The fact that we are giving this away in some form or another it diminishes the position that we have been given in terms of the arbitral tribunal outcome,” he said.
On March 15, Del Rosario had filed along with former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales a communication before the International Criminal Court against China’s President Xi Jinping for alleged crimes against humanity for environmental damage in the South China Sea.
Duterte said his critics, including Carpio and Del Rosario, were bright but not smart, insisting that maintaining friendly relations with China was the better option, as marine wealth in parts of the South China Sea disputed by both countries can be shared. He said China who maintained that it has “historical rights” over South China Sea, had agreed to this.
-Sovereignty over EEZ, not granted by 2016 Hague ruling, says Duterte-
He stressed that sovereignty over the Philippines’ EEZ was not granted by the 2016 Hague ruling which until this day, is not recognized by China which did not participate in the controversial arbitration case.
“Nanalo tayo, sabi ng arbitral court, ‘sa Pilipinas ‘yan’. Hindi ibinigay sa atin ‘yung sovereignty. Our sovereignty is only 12 miles. Ang economic zone, wala tayong sovereignty. No country in the world has a sovereignty sa kanyang economic zone — exclusive. It is not a question of sovereignty. Ang recognized lang ‘yung 12,” the President said Tuesday night in a speech during the 122nd anniversary of the Presidential Security Group.
Among the senators who called for Duterte’s impeachment was detained Senator Leila De Lima.
