The tough-talking Mayor of Davao City, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte showed his wits and intelligence during the second round of the national presidential debate as he test Sen. Grace Poe on how she will react once China attack the Philippines. The Mayor of Davao City asks the senator what she would do if she woke up one night to China’s attack on the Philippine Cosat Guard’s boats.
Mayor Duterte asks “What would happen if one night, gigisingin ka tapos sabihin ng commander, ‘Ang dalawa nating coast guard cutter, pinasabog’ (You are woken up and the commander tells you, ‘Our two Coast Guard cutters have been bombed’). What would be the first 3 steps that you would do?” asked Duterte.
Sen. Grace Poe responded with a very vague and generic response, she began by saying that she would strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines by spending more money on defense equipment like surface-to-air missiles. She would also go into talks with other Southeast Asian countries also claiming the Spratlys to constructively engage with China and follow a code of conduct.
“Kung kinakailangan, bilang isang pangulo, ay katukin ko ang pinto ng bawa’t bansa para tayuan nila ang kasunduan dito sa UNCLOS ay gagawin ko (If necessary, as president, I will knock on the doors of each country so they will affirm the UNCLOS),” said Poe.
The 70-year-old Mayor Duterte was not satisfied with the response of Sen. Grace Poe and noted that the senator did not answer the question “Ma’am, I’m just talking about the worst-case scenario…What would be the first 3 steps that you would do?” said Duterte.
Poe then back-tracked and said her 3 steps are: she would get up right away, call the heads of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Transportation and Communications who command the Coast Guard, and ask for assistance from the United States as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
“Mabilis na babangon ang presidente, at itatawag ang head ng AFP at ang head ng DOTC sapagka’t nandiyan napapailalim ang Coast Guard…Meron tayong Visiting Forces Agreement. Meron tayong kasunduan sa ibang bansa kung paano tayo dedepensahan,” she said.