Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Sunday warned that the Philippines risked losing its international credibility due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s “flip-flopping” on foreign policy.

In a forum sponsored by the Miriam College Department of International Studies, Del Rosario also questioned Mr. Duterte’s “end game” in his strategy of pivoting to China while virtually cutting ties and insulting the country’s “valued partners.”

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“There appears to be a lack of clarity from the incumbent administration on what a principle and an independent foreign policy should be. Our foreign policy will be defined by the integrity of our national leadership. We cannot afford to have a foreign policy that flip flops. We don’t merit any credibility in the world if that is the foreign policy we will have,” said Del Rosario.

In just four months, Del Rosario said the former mayor had already turned the country’s foreign policy on its head by “burning its bridges” with the United States and insulting its leaders while “embracing” China and talking to Russia about getting together against the world.—GIL C. CABACUNGAN

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