“Does Leni really think that deals can be made with foreign entities on explorations and development when the two heads of state are virtually at war with each other?

Vice President Leni Robredo just about says anything and everything just to get media mileage, perhaps to make people remember that, even as her questionable poll victory hangs over her head, she remains the second highest elected official in the land — at least until the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, finally makes its decision, which may well be rendered moot, if the SC justices continue their usual practice of dilly-dallying in their decision until the term of the VP ends.

Earlier this week, Robredo slammed President Duterte’s reported plan to set aside the arbitral ruling to give way to the joint oil and gas exploration with China in the disputed South China Sea in a 60-40 deal, with the Philippines getting the better end of the deal.

The arrangement reportedly had Chinese President Xi Jinping offering the Philippines the majority stake in the joint exploration on the condition that Manila sets aside the arbitral award, where the Philippines was favored by The Hague Court with China’s sweeping claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas under Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

Duterte was quoted as saying that the issue on the exclusive economic zone was part of the ruling that he will “ignore to come up with an economic activity.”

Robredo was quick to condemn the latest Duterte deal, saying, “The recent declaration by the President that he will ‘ignore’ the arbitral ruling upholding the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea to pave the way for a joint oil and gas exploration agreement with China is profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible.”

Profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible? What big words Leni uses these days, but empty nevertheless.

It has to be asked: What is so extremely irresponsible about setting aside the arbitral ruling in favor of a deal where the country gets the better end of the stick and probably striking oil in the process, especially since “setting aside” the ruling is certainly not giving up the ruling in favor of China? It is hardly any different from Duterte saying that he will be putting the arbitral ruling in the back burner, to have better trade and economic relations with China.

The arbitral ruling is not going to change, merely because of the exploration deal and Duterte’s statement that he will be setting it aside. The Exclusive Economic Zone still belongs to the Philippines and incidentally, the same arbitral ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) caused the country to lose Scarborough Shoal, something about which the yellows never bring up.

In plain English, we haven’t sold out our EEZ or the part of our seas to China.

What is probably so “profoundly disappointing” in Leni is apparently her inability to be logically cohesive.

As Leni herself said: “Our own Constitution already grants the state ample authority to enter into agreements with foreign entities for exploration and development of oil and gas resources, provided that these shall lead to “real contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country,” then added: “Why, then, was this reckless pronouncement made?”

So, what was so reckless about Duterte saying that he has set aside the arbitral ruling? Certainly, this has been more or less Duterte’s position since he assumed the presidency. He wanted better diplomatic and economic relations with China, which was the opposite stance of the yellow president, which caused a fall in trade and tattered diplomatic relations with China.

Does Leni really think that deals can be made with foreign entities on explorations and development when the two heads of state are virtually at war with each other?

Think hard, Leni. Your yellow patron could not even get the better end of the stick in getting the China ship out of our waters in an eye-to eye “battle.” It was your yellow patron’s ship that turned tail.

The yellow President favored the United States, and virtually sold the country to Ole Uncle Sam, building bases all over the country for the US troops, a move that was clearly in violation of the Constitution.

Perhaps Leni should wait to become president of the country before coming up with such “profoundly illogical” argument of hers, when, as she herself said, the Constitution does allow foreign entities to enter into exploration and development of oil and gas resources.

Leni, Leni, Leni. How extremely and profoundly disappointing you can be. You should know that the same Constitution does not say that we have the authority to enter into such exploratory arrangements, except arrangements with China. So why keep on crabbing about the setting aside remark of Duterte?

There was no giving up of the arbitral ruling favoring the country. Neither for that matter, can China and even the Philippines change that ruling. The PCA ruling stays. Enforcing it is a different matter.

And if Leni Robredo and the other yellows think that they can enforce that PCA ruling against an Asian military power by clinging on to the country’s old colonial master, the USA, that really would be extremely reckless as it would make the Philippines and its people sitting ducks in a war against China. And the US wouldn’t care.

Really, Leni. Filipinos will dread the day you ever become president, which will probably not happen — at least not electorally.