FVR accepts special envoy to China post

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Former president Fidel Ramos yesterday formally accepted the offer of President Duterte to be the government’s special envoy to China.

Ramos’ principal task would be to help the government mend fences with China, which is still reeling from a legal setback when an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines by invalidating Beijing’s expansive nine-dash line claim in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

Ramos arrived here in the morning and had lunch with Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Ramos only got to meet with Duterte at around 5 p.m. and held a closed-door meeting on the 18th floor of the Marco Polo Hotel.

“I already got the clearance from my doctors and from my wife Ming that I will be heading the mission,” Ramos told reporters here.

Duterte and Ramos extensively discussed the parameters of the mission, which the former president said he felt honored to undertake.

Ramos returned to Manila  last night on the 7:40 p.m. Philippine Airlines flight.

The former president likewise asked Duterte to provide him with the necessary guidelines for his dealings with China.

Duterte assured Ramos that the members of his Cabinet as well as officials of other agencies concerned will draw up such guidelines before the former president and his team begin engaging their Chinese counterparts.

Ramos earlier made clear war is not an option in dealing with China on the West Philippine Sea issue.

He said he was amenable to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.’s exhortation that they proceed with caution and tolerance when discussing The Hague ruling.

It was not clear yet who would compose Ramos’ team.

Meanwhile, Duterte said country’s legal victory in the South China Sea dispute may not have to be on the agenda in possible bilateral talks with China on the still unresolved maritime row.

He was taking a cue from Ramos, who had expressed his openness to engaging China in bilateral talks but without using the arbitral ruling as kick-off point.

“Ramos said that ‘if --- it’s all right if we take out the arbitral judgment from the talks.”

The July 12 decision of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating Beijing’s nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea has angered China. The ruling also upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over at least three land features in the West Philippine Sea, which are also being claimed by Beijing.

Also last Friday in Maguindanao where he inspected a power plant, Duterte said he was keen on tapping former interior and local government chief Rafael Alunan as alternative to Ramos in case the latter declines the President’s offer to be a special envoy to China.

In a speech, Duterte spoke about the Philippines’ strong potential in agriculture “because of the fertility of the soil and the fact that there is no typhoon to destroy the cycle of crops, and cycle of the weather.”

In discussing the agriculture sector’s potential, Duterte was trying to emphasize the availability of funds to finance the country’s growth efforts.

“Now, where will we get (the funds)...This is not a brief for the Chinese people. But at the (South) China Sea, if we can just have a settlement with them despite the arbitral judgment, I think that we can benefit substantially from them,” Duterte said.

“So, we will ask for that…that they will come here and we are planning to establish economic zones and also farm-to-market roads,” he added.

If bilateral talks progress, Duterte said there would be massive exchange of goods between China and the Philippines. 

He lamented, however, the country’s sluggish manufacturing sector. – With Christina Mendez