On his “JetSki” statement: Duterte said it’s a pure joke

Manila, Philippines – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte confessed to the public on Monday that his pledge to ride a jet ski to the Spratly Islands and plant a Philippine flag was a “pure campaign joke” in 2016 and even called a “stupid” to those who believed him.

“Panahon yan sa kampanya yan. At saka yung biro na yun, yung bravado ko, it was a pure campaign joke at kung naniniwala kayo sa kabila, I would say you are really stupid,” President Durte said in his public address on Monday.

He added, that he had planned to go to Spratly Islands as he promised, but he ended up in buying second-hand jet ski. “Nagplano ako niyan. Bumili ako ng jet ski, ang kaya ko second hand lang. So nag order ako ng piyesa, hanggang ngayon hindi pa dumating since then. Walang dumating eh wala akong magawa,” President Duterte said.

“Sige, maghanap ka ng tao dito magpunta ng jet ski. Aabot pa ng ilang oras, I would conk out in the middle of the sea. Sabi nila, ang alon pala diyan, kasinglaki ng dagat, Sabi ko, mahirap ito. Sabihin ko na lang balang araw na inabot ako ng takot. Wala akong magawa. Takot akong mamatay. Alam ba ninyo na hindi ako marunong maglangoy? Eh kung matumba yang yawa na ‘yan, magkakapa kapa na ako. By this time, I would’ve been the late Rodrigo Duterte,” he added.

Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said on Wednesday that President Duterte is only “dramatized” his stance on the issue on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with China when Duterte made the jet ski “joke” in 2016.

Panelo said that people should use their “common sense” to know whether the President is joking or not. “You will know when the President’s joking by using one’s common sense. You know when one person is joking or not”.

During in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel, Panelo said that, “to dramatize the fact that he will not allow China to assault the sovereignty of this country. I think that was clear enough. For me, that was very clear during the campaign”.

The Malacañang also clarify that President Duterte was referring to critics when he suddenly called those who believed his jet ski ride to Spratly Island were “stupid.”

To quote from Panela;

When he said those believed in him [were] stupid, I think he was referring to certain critics who would like to twist facts and circumstances and jokes. He was not referring to [the] majority of the Filipino people who I’m very sure knew that he was only dramatizing a circumstance.

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