By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Without mentioning his successor’s name, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has lamented that the Philippine government has allowed itself to be “used” by the United States in its geopolitical rivalry with China.
According to the ex-Chief Executive, this has caused the worsening tension between Manila and Beijing.
“Wala naman tayong away sa China noon. We were free to fish in and out of the area, nobody was bugging us and there was no issue of territory. We were not molested, we were there to fish, to make a living. Ito na lang ngayon [nag]bago nitong diskarte,” Duterte said in an interview on Sunday (30 June 2024).
He claimed Filipino fishermen were free to make a living in the disputed seas during his term until the new administration took over.
However, some fishermen in Masinloc earlier said they had been harassed by Chinese vessels despite warmer relations between Manila and Beijing during the Duterte administration.
(el Amigo/mnm)
