Isko invokes Ukraine leader on WPS issue: I will be with the fisherfolk

GITAGUM, Misamis Oriental — “If Zelenskiy can do it, I can do it also.”

These were the words uttered by presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno when asked how he can protect fisherfolk in Panatag Shoal amid tensions with China.

China has recently maintained that it has sovereign rights over Panatag Shoal after the Philippine Coast Guard reported a “close distance maneuvering” incident involving a Chinese vessel in the area.

In an ambush interview, Moreno was asked if he woul keep the status quo on Panatag Shoal and how he woul deal with China if he wins the presidency.

“Basta tayo, we will insist on the Hague ruling, and we will fish in our water. That includes Panatag Shoal,” he said.

Further questioned on how he will protect the fisherfolk, Moreno vowed, “If I need to be with the fisherfolk, I will be with them. If Zelenskiy can do it, we can do it also.”

This is not the first time the Aksyon Demokratiko bet raised former actor turned Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whom Moreno has said he can relate with.

“No not jet ski, hindi aabot ang jet ski doon. Meron naman tayo frigates,” he added, a reference to then-candidate Rodrigo Duterte's assertion in 2016 that the Chinese in the West Philippine Sea on a jet ski if necessary, which he later called "just a campaign joke."

Moreno also said that he will not go to war with China.

“I will not go to war hangga’t kayang iwasan. Tayo, hindi tayo makikipag-away. Pero tandaan mo hindi rin tayo magpapaapi,” he said.

(I will not go to war if it can be helped. We are not looking for a fight. But remember, we will also not allow ourselves to be oppressed.) — BM, GMA News