(Eagle News)–Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol on Tuesday, June 18, denied claims President Rodrigo Duterte was downplaying the Recto Bank incident.
In an interview over ANC, Piñol said the President was actually just “listening to all angles of the story before making a statement..”
“..And that is the mark of a true leader,” he said.
In a speech on Tuesday, June 17, Duterte ordered the Philippine Navy to “stay out” of the incident, as it was a “little maritime incident.”
“Banggaan lang ng barko yan. Do not make it worse,” Duterte had said.
He added he would refrain from making statements on the matter until the results of the probe into the incident were released.
Senator Panfilo Lacson has said Duterte’s comment has “left us heartbroken,” saying the Mutual Defense Treaty could be raised.
