Call him whatever you like but the fact is Rodrigo Roa Duterte gets things done.
While I am here in Canada for a meeting with the Filipino-Canadian community, I received this report from the Philippines through GMA7 Network News:
“Some Filipino fishermen from Subic, Zambales are now able to fish at Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal), a report said on Friday.
“A “News To Go” report quoted a fisherman as saying that his comrades who ventured off waters have reported via radio that Chinese vessels no longer sent them away.
“Fishermen there consider this good news, after more than four years of being unable to enter the territory due to the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard, the report said.
“The fishermen are also hoping to continue being free to catch fish in the area.
“While Malacañang maintained that the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China will not be discussed in depth, President Rodrigo Duterte said he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Panatag Shoal issues in a closed-door meeting during his state visit in China.
“
Duterte refused to give details on the conversation but hinted that something may happen after it.
“The two countries released a joint statement last Friday, saying they agreed not to use force in settling the disputes, and that this should not get in the way of the other aspects of their relations.
“In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in the Netherlands ruled in favor of the Philippines in a case it filed against China, calling the Panatag Shoal a “common fishing ground.” — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/VVP, GMA News”
While we were in China for a State Visit last week, President Duterte told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he would like to settle the differences between the two countries “the way Asians do.”
“We should settle our problems not with loud voices but through whispers,” President Duterte said during the bilateral meeting which I attended.
Indeed, the whispers said during their one-on-one conversation now send a loud message all over the world – courtesy and mutual respect really work wonders.
So there you are: The proof of the pudding is not in the talking but in the eating.
(Photo of Filipino fishermen downloaded from Google)
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