The sinking of a Filipino boat by a Chinese vessel at Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea has prompted some celebrities to give their take on the issue.
Among them was star Robin Padilla who said the incident should not be blown out of proportion.
The Recto Bank collision left 22 Filipino fishermen at open sea after a Chinese crew rammed their fishing boat last June 9.
Padilla, a staunch supporter of Duterte, said it is probably for the best if the situation doesn’t get blown out of proportion because the Philippines doesn’t stand a chance against China if the two countries get into a war.
“Kasi sinabi ng ating mahal na Pangulo na hindi ‘yun dahilan para tayo eh makipag-giyera sa China at tayo ay matunaw na,” the actor said according to PEP, citing one of his recent Facebook live broadcasts.
“Wag nalang ho natin palakihin. Siguro katulad ho ng sinasabi ko nung araw, kung sino yung matatapang, eh sila nalang yung pumunta dun,” he said. “Wag na natin idamay pa yung Armed Forces, yung Pilipinas. Sarili nalang ninyong sikap kung talagang matapang kayo, edi patunayan niyo dun…;” he added.
Padilla said the issue at hand involves a very sensitive topic and Filipinos should just trust the diplomatic strategy of the President.
He also pointed out that none of the fishermen died from the incident.
Duterte, he said, is handling the situation the best way he can.
The action star said it’s important for people to have cooler heads before making rash comments.
Nonetheless, Padilla said he doesn’t doubt the courage of the Filipino people.
“Naku naman, sa tingin niyo ho ba tatagal ang Pilipinas? Minsan ang katapangan ibabalik sa logic. Kailangan meron po tayong logic. Pag sinasabing logic, ‘yung nasa katotohanan tayo. ‘Yun nga po ang ating message, at si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, naging malamig ang kanyang ulo,” he added.
