Sara Duterte: Gov't officials should not pick fights with other countries

Vice President Sara Duterte cautioned the Philippine government against picking fights with other countries, including China.

Speaking at a gathering with Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong on Sunday, the Vice President suggested that resolving issues, such as the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines, is better handled through diplomatic talks rather than heated exchanges online.

“Alam ninyo dapat kasi hindi nakikipag-away ang gobyerno o ang opsiyal ng gobyerno sa kahit na anong bansa dahil napaka-complicated ng relasyon ng dalawang bansa. Hindi lang siya isang bagay lang, maraming aspeto ang relasyon ng Pilipinas sa bawat bansa,” Duterte said in a 24 Oras report of Marisol Abdurahman on Monday.

(The government or a government official should not pick a fight with any country because bilateral relations are very complicated. It is not just a single matter; there are many aspects to the Philippines' relationship with every nation.)

“Bumuo ng isang team ng mga diplomats at yon ang ipadala mo kung saan man nila gusto makipag-usap, sila dapat yung nag-uusap,” she added.

(Form a team of diplomats and send them wherever they need to negotiate; they should be the ones talking.)

Duterte said that in relations with other countries, national interest must always be the priority.

She also pointed out that failing to maintain good relations with China could adversely affect the livelihoods of many Filipinos.

“Dapat iniisip ng pamahalaan ‘Gaano ba kalaki ang baril ko? Gaano ba kalaki ang baril ng kalaban?’ Ulo pa lang, pinukpok na yung maliit mo na baril. Dapat balanse, hindi siya basta na lang tira nang tira lalo na ‘pag malaki ang baril ng kalaban mo,” the Vice President added.

(The government should consider, ‘How big is my gun? How big is the adversary's gun?’ Before you can even react, your small gun has already been crushed. There must be balance; you can’t just keep taking shots indiscriminately, especially when your opponent has a bigger gun.)

'Philippines isn't the aggressor'

In response to Duterte, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, clarified that no one is suggesting the Philippines go to war with China.

Tarriela said the country's strongest defense in its territorial claims is not armed force, but the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award it won, which recognized Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

“Walang nagsasabing makikipag-giyera tayo. Hindi laki ng braso ang laban natin kung ang UNCLOS, ang 2016 Arbitral Award na tayo ang nanalo… Kapag laki ng kamao ang nagde-define kung ano ang tama, tama nga si [Chinese Ambassador] Jing Quan, at wala nang silbi ang international law,” Tarriela wrote in a post.

(No one is saying we should go to war. Our fight is not determined by muscle power, but by UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award that we won... If brute force defined what is right, then Jing Quan would be correct, and international law would be useless.)

He also emphasized that the Philippines is not the aggressor taking indiscriminate shots, pointing to China's use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine authorities and Filipino fishers at sea.

He added that sending diplomats has long been the practice, but it is the other side that fails to comply with agreements.

“China po ang gumagamit ng water cannon at dangerous maneuvers. Ang PCG at BFAR ay pinoprotektahan lamang ang ating mga mangingisda sa sarili natin [Exclusive Economic Zone],” Tarriela said.

(It is China that uses water cannons and performs dangerous maneuvers. The PCG and BFAR are merely protecting our fishermen within our own Exclusive Economic Zone.)

In an interview, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated that all government officials—whether civilian or uniformed—are expected to adhere to the directives of the President.

While naming no specific individuals, the DFA noted that recent public statements by certain officials inappropriately combined distinct aspects of foreign policy, emphasizing that official diplomatic actions require a clear boundary.

“It is therefore regrettable that recent public commentary made by certain government officials have incorrectly merged three distinct elements: documentary evidence, public rhetoric and official diplomatic messaging. Government statecraft requires clear distinctions among these instruments,” the DFA said. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/RF, GMA News