President Rodrigo Duterte asserts that he will not comply with the international agreement concerning the reduction of carbon emissions even though the Philippines is among its signatories.
The president recounted a meeting, he found particularly infuriating, with an ambassador who reminded him of the agreement. When the president was asked whether the country can maintain its emissions, he supposedly replied with a non-committal, “No. I cannot tell.”
President Duterte believes that the said agreement is just a roadblock to progress in developing countries such as the Philippines.
In return, he reiterated to the ambassador his position on the issue.
“You know, you do not do it that way, Mr. Ambassador. You who have reached your apex and along the way spewed a lot of contaminants and emissions and will ahead in destroying the climate, good for you.”
“We are here; we have not reached the age of industrialization. We are going into it, but you are trying to stymie us with an agreement na hanggang dito lang kayo, hanggang dito lang kayo. “Sabi ko, ‘That’s stupid.’ Sabi ko, ‘I will not honor that’.”
And when the ambassador told him that the Philippines signed the agreement, Duterte replied, “That was not my signature. I will not follow.”
Though Duterte did not mention the specific name of the agreement, it is more likely that he is referring to the Paris agreement on climate change.
The Philippines is among the 200-nation signatories of the historical agreement that was formalized in December 2015 wherein the country vowed to reduce its carbon emission to 70% in 2030 with the help of the international community. (UNTV News)
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