MANILA, Philippines — The much touted face-off between President Rodrigo Duterte and retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio may not materialize after the Chief Executive assigned his spokesperson to represent him in a debate over the issue on the Philippines’ legal victory over China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Duterte has designated Atty. Harry Roque to face Carpio on whether the country may enforce the2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in favor of the country, amid recent incursions of China in contested waters, which critics claimed undermined the country’s sovereignty.
This, despite that it was Duterte himself who c…
Keep on reading: No more face-off: Duterte backs out of debate with Carpio, assigns Roque instead