Bato: Duterte my friend but I am anti-China

MANILA, Philippines: Senator Ronald «Bato» dela Rosa said that he is a staunch supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte but he is «anti China» insofar as the bullying of Philippine vessels by Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is concerned.

Dela Rosa made the remark as Sen. Ana Theresia «Risa» Hontiveros delivered a privileged speech reiterating the need to probe the claim of the Chinese Embassy in Manila that the Duterte administration entered into a «gentleman's agreement» with China to not repair the BRP Sierra Madre or build structures at Ayungin Shoal.

«Can a past president surrender our right to fortify installations within these domains? These are the questions that the legislature needs to understand and wrestle with,» Hontiveros said on Monday.

«For the record I am pro Duterte but I am anti China as far as Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea. I am a good friend of the former president Duterte,» dela Rosa said in his manifestation. «In fact I cannot become a senator without his help. I am indebted to him. But when it comes to Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea my heart and soul is anti China.»

Senate President Juan Miguel «Migz» Zubiri denied allegations from some quarters that he was delaying the conduct of the inquiry on the reported gentleman's agreement between China and Duterte.

«I was asked last Saturday [and] I said it is with the Committee on Rules. The chairman of the Committee on Rules will make a decision on Monday. There was no plan to delay this particular issue,» Zubiri said.

«We ran out of time and the majority leader wanted to study it further because there were other committees that wanted to hear it together. In other words, he was just trying to find the right referral to this particular topic, which today I believe we will do,» he added.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is headed by Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda «Imee» Marcos while the Committee on Rules is led by Majority Leader Emmanuel Joel Villanueva.