House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has criticized the recent controversial statements of Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who told President Marcos to resign amid the escalating tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Alvarez's remarks on WPS 'defeatist and dangerously naive', says House leader
Mar 31, 2024 09:42 AM
At a glance
Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (left), Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
Defeatist and dangerously naive.
That's how House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre described the recent controversial statements of Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who told President Marcos to resign amid the escalating tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Former Speaker (Pantaleon) Alvarez’s remarks are not only defeatist but dangerously naive. To suggest that President Marcos Jr. should resign in the face of aggression is to misunderstand the very essence of leadership and national sovereignty,” Acidre said in a statement Sunday, March 31.
Instead, the House leader told Alvarez that this is time the Philippines, led by Marcos, "must stand firm in defending our territorial integrity and uphold our rights in the [WPS]'.
“We must confront our challenges head-on, not by backing down, but by asserting our rightful place in the international community,” Acidre further emphasized.
“It may be true that it is no one’s responsibility to demonize one particular country, it is however best to be reminded that it is every government official’s sworn duty to protect and defend the Constitution - including every inch of our national territory,” he said, referring to Marcos’ mandate.
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As head of state, President Marcos must defend the country at all costs, and make sure that the “Philippines should not be bullied into submission or inaction", the Tingog solon said.
"Our focus on economic development and addressing societal issues does not preclude the protection of our national interests,” Acidre said.
“It is possible, and imperative, to pursue both. Calling for resignation instead of resilience and resolve shows a lack of faith in our nation’s capabilities and the leadership of President Marcos Jr.,” Acidre said of Alvarez, a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In a statement released on Holy Wednesday, Alvarez advised Marcos to step down as a way to “de-escalate the tension in the [WPS] between the Philippines and China".
As part of his advice, the Mindanao legislator said Marcos should let Vice President Sara Duterte assume the country’s top post.
Vice President Duterte is the eldest daughter of former president Duterte.