Lawyers urged to study Del Rosario’s liability in WPS issue

Posted to the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2021): Lawyers urged to study Del Rosario’s liability in WPS issue (By Azer Parrocha)

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (Screengrab from RTVM)

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday urged Filipino lawyers to study the legal liability of former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario who was believed to have ordered the withdrawal of Philippine ships from Scarborough Shoal during a standoff with China in 2012.

“I enjoin lawyers and other groups to study the legal liability of Albert del Rosario in ceding Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) to China,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing in San Juan city.

Asked if the government would initiate its own investigation and file charges against del Rosario, Roque said he already had his hands full.

“I have no time and I don’t want to waste my time on him. Pero (But) let us not let him get away with the fact that he gave away Philippine territory,” he said.

Del Rosario earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte has “betrayed” his constitutional duty to uphold the national interests of the country by setting aside the arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines’ claim on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Roque, however, shrugged off the remark of Del Rosario who, he said, was the one who betrayed the country and not the President.

“Kalokohan po iyan (That’s nonsense) coming from a proven traitor. Siya po ang nagpaalis sa ating mga kasundaluhan, sa Boro, na naging dahilan na ang Tsina na lang ang natira sa 'Borough (He was the one who called back the soldiers at Scarborough that allowed China to stay there). Mr. Del Rosario, if you want to talk about who that real traitor is, ikaw iyon! Ikaw ang namigay ng teritoryo sa Tsina (it’s you. You were the one who gave away our territory to China),” he said.

Roque also told Del Rosario to keep his mouth shut unless he could prove that Duterte gave away any of the country’s territories.

“Habang hindi ka makapagpakita ng teritoryo na binigay ng Presidente Duterte sa ibang bansa, manahimik ka diyan dahil eh ikaw nga ang may pananagutan diyan (Until you are able to show proof that President Duterte gave away our territory to other countries, you should shut up because it is you who is responsible for that),” he said.

He said the former Cabinet official of the previous administration should be ashamed for speaking such nonsense.

“Mangilabot ka naman sa mga sinasabi mo. Ikaw diyang namigay ng teritoryo eh, mahiya ka sa sarili mo! Mahiya ka sa buong bansang Pilipinas (You should be ashamed of what you are saying. You are the one who gave away our territory, you should be ashamed to the whole country),” he added.

Duterte has repeatedly blamed the past administration over the Philippines losing possession of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

In a taped public address on May 5, Duterte expressed his intent to launch an investigation into the Philippines’ withdrawal of its ships in the Scarborough Shoal.

He said he wanted to personally ask del Rosario and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio why they let the Philippines withdraw its vessels in the shoal.

Duterte also said Chinese President Xi Jinping had claimed that Carpio and del Rosario gave the Philippine islands as a “gift” to China.

During the time of Aquino, del Rosario and Carpio led the filing of a petition against China before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146802