Duterte won’t go jet-skiing during Benham Rise visit

President Rodrigo Duterte is not going for a jet ski ride during his visit to Benham Rise on Tuesday to commemorate the first anniversary of the renaming of the undersea region to Philippine Rise.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go said he and the chief executive’s son, Sebastian, are the ones to do jet-skiing in the waters of Benham Rise.
 

Pres. Duterte jetskiing in the waters in the Philippine Rise will not push through, instead, his son “Baste” will do it accdg to Special Assistant to the President Bong Go @gmanews

— Joseph Morong (@Joseph_Morong) May 15, 2018

It was earlier reported that Duterte might ride a jet ski during his visit with at least seven units of the personal watercraft spotted onboard the Philippine Navy’s BRP Davao del Sur.

Duterte made a promise during the 2016 presidential campaign that he will ask the Navy to bring him to the nearest Philippine-claimed territory in the South China Sea and then he will take a jet ski to a disputed island and plant the Philippine flag.
He later said it was just hyperbole, but assured Filipinos that the Philippines under his leadership will not give up anything in the disputed seas.

In ruling in favor of the Philippines in July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s excessive claims over the entire South China Sea.

Duterte repeated the “jet ski” statement when asked on April 29 for a reaction about criticisms against his plan to visit the uncontested Benham Rise.

He reiterated that he only wanted to sail to Benham Rise to assert the country’s sovereign rights over the resource-rich undersea region off Aurora province. —VDS, GMA News