When I was growing up in Tondo, this was a common scene: A tough guy commits a crime and is brought to trial. In Tondo at that time, it was almost impossible to get witnesses to testify in a criminal
trial, particularly if the accused was a tough guy. In the few times some witnesses came forward, the witness would make halting statements, stuttering frequently, mispronouncing words, and making furtive glances at the accused.
Contrast this with his demeanor when he castigated Sen. Richard Gordon and the other senators in the Pharmally scandal. On those occasions, Mr. Duterte spoke in assertive terms. It appears he excels when defending Chinese nationals but falters when defending our national interest. The President knows the value of a follow-up action in a dispute. He did this against Gordon whom he accused of mishandling Red Cross funds; he also threatened further exposés against the senator. But in the Ayungin case, no follow-up action means China can keep on interdicting our resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Peace in our part of the world is the biggest casualty. An overwhelming vote in the UNGA against the Chinese action may serve as a deterrent to Beijing and end the SCS dispute. But this route is closed. Instead, Locsin together with then Palace spokesperson Harry Roque had propagated the lie that if we submitted the issue to the UN, we would be relitigating the West Philippine Sea dispute. The UNGA is a political body and does not accept litigation cases.
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