Duterte Says Promise to Ride a Jet Ski a "Campaign Joke"

In his weekly address, President Rodrigo Duterte said his 2016 promise to ride a jet ski to the Spratlys to assert the Philippines' claim against China was a "pure campaign joke" and he would have died had he honored it. 

Duterte cited the distance from mainland Palawan to the Spratlys and that there was no way he could refuel along the way. If he ran out of gas and no one came to his rescue, "I will be the late Rodrigo Duterte."

The president referenced the jet ski statement, which he made during a presidential debate, as Manila and Beijing are locked in a standoff over the presence of Chinese ships off reefs and shoals that are within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

“Nagplano ako niyan. Bumili ako ng jet ski, ang kaya ko second hand lang. So nag-order ako ng piyesa, hanggang ngayon hindi pa dumating since then. Walang dumating e di wala akong magawa,” he said.

"Nagpa-plot ako kung saan ako magdaan... nakita ko doon, ilan naman 'yong tangke ng jet ski? Kailangan ko ng gasolina, supply. Pagtingin ko puro dagat, wala ako makita gasoline station along the way, ah sabi ko mahirap ito, dito tayo mamatay nang walang kakwenta-kwenta," he added.

"Panahon sa kampanya yan, at saka 'yong biro na 'yon, 'yong we call it bravado, 'yong bravado ko, pure campaign joke at kung naniniwala kayo sa kabila pati na siguro si Carpio, I would say that you are stupid," he said. 

Duterte was referring to former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, one of the loudest critics of his China policy. The president challenged the former justice to a debate on the West Philippine Sea last week and later backed out, offering instead his spokesperson to argue for him.

Main image is a screenshot from Radio Television Malacañang - RTVM.

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.

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Source: Spot PH