FORMER President Fidel Ramos has quit as special envoy of President Rodrigo Duterte to China to give way to official negotiators.

“The moment the President came back from China from a sucessful state visit, I resigned as special evoy to China because the oficials have taken over, and I have done my job,” Ramos told GMA News in a news report broadcast Monday evening.

On October 5, Duterte appointed journalist Jose Santiago “Chito” Santa Romana to the vacant post of ambassador to China.

Duterte went on a four-day state visit to China in October, bringing home $24 billion in loan and investment pledges.

Ramos’ announcement came after he wrote two opinion columns in the Manila Bulletin that were critical of Duterte.

In the first opinion piece, Ramos hit Duterte over the rising number of deaths linked to the government’s anti-crime drive, as well as the President’s expletive-laden rants against his international critics.

In another opinion column, Ramos againt criticized Duterte for refusing to commit to reductions in carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Ramos, who convinced Duterte to run for president, said the administration should not take offense, saying he should be considered an “older brother of the big, big, big Filipino family.”

“I still consider myself part of the Duterte team but I am free to give friendly advice, and that is part of our democratic culture,” Ramos told GMA News after paying respects to the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and signing the book of condolences at the Royal Thai Embassy. </s> Malacañang on Tuesday confirmed that former President Fidel V. Ramos had resigned as the Philippines’ special envoy to China.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Ramos informed him that he has submitted his resignation letter but President Rodrigo Duterte is yet to accept or reject it.

“According to FVR, the letter has been submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary, but it will be up to

 PRRD [Duterte] whether to accept it or not,” Abella told reporters in a text message.

Ramos said he resigned because his job was over. His resignation came a few days after the President’s visit to China.

In a separate statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the government will still need Ramos’ “expertise and stature.”

“It is not true that the former president can no longer have any role in our engagement with China. His stature and expertise are needed now, more than ever, to follow up what President Duterte accomplished during his recent visit to China,” Andanar said in a text message.

Ramos recently criticized some of Duterte’s policy pronouncements.

In his column published on Saturday, Ramos cited Duterte’s stand not to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which seeks to lower climate-warming emissions.

The former president, who convinced Duterte to run for president, earlier said the Philippines lost badly during the first 100 days of the administration.

Ramos criticized Duterte for being too focused on his war on drugs, neglecting other social ills such as poverty. He also observed that policemen were not following the basic rule of shooting to disable crime suspects, but were instead shooting to kill even if their lives were not in danger.

The former military and defense chief also called out Duterte on his anti-US foreign policy, including the President’s stand to end joint military exercises with its treaty ally. He also decried Duterte’s insults against UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, a former foreign minister of South Korea who helped Filipino veterans of the Korean war.

Ramos was named special envoy to China in July. </s> Former President Fidel V. Ramos

FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos on Monday resigned as the country’s special envoy to China after criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated tirades against the United States and an apparent tilt towards China. “The moment the President came back from China from a successful state visit I resigned as special envoy to China because the officials have taken over,” Ramos said in a television interview. “I’ve done my job to... break the ice and to help restore the ties of goodwill and friendship,” he added. The Palace, however, said Ramos still had a role to play in Duterte’s talks with China.“We have not received the resignation. Moreover, it is not true that the former president can no longer have any role in our engagement with China,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement. “His stature and expertise are needed now, more than ever, to follow up and build on what President Duterte accomplished during his recent visit to China,” he added. Ramos, whom Duterte credits for handing him the presidency, said in a column for a national broadsheet on Oct. 9 that the government was “losing badly” by prioritizing the war on drugs at the expense of issues such as poverty, living costs, foreign investment and jobs—calling it a “huge disappointment and letdown.” Sources had earlier told the Manila Standard that Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip after he advised the incumbent President not to push through with the trip to China if they do not comply with certain conditions. Instead of heeding Ramos’ advice, sources said, Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip and personally took control of talks with Chinese officials. A week later, Ramos compared the Philippines under “skipper” Duterte to a leaky and slow-moving ship due to internal strife and disunity. In a third piece, Ramos urged Duterte to refrain from trying to impress by saying too much. His fourth and latest column called on Duterte to approve the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and said the President’s diatribes were like “shooting himself in the mouth.” Earlier, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said that Beijing cannot just take away Manila’s historical rights and the recent victory from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) against China’s excessive “9-dash line” claim in the South China Sea. “Maybe not now but when we go to another round of talks we will again assert it,” Esperon said about the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea, after speculation persisted that Duterte had made concessions to the Chinese during his recent state visit to China. Esperon, however, said it was the President’s sworn duty to defend and protect the country. Shortly after Duterte’s visit, Malacañang and the Defense department reported that the Chinese Coast Guard was allowing Filipino fishermen to enter the disputed Scarborough Shoal to fish. The government also reported that warships of the Chinese Navy had already left the shoal, which is just 124 nautical miles off the coast of Masinloc, Zambales.Esperon said the President’s visit eased tensions between the two countries, which he said was a “win-win” situation. “It was win-win on both sides, but this is not to say that we have dropped our claim because we have asserted it,” Esperon said. Esperon also said the President mentioned the UN tribunal’s decision to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Although the two presidents were not able to come up with a resolution on the disputed territories, why allow yourselves to be in that confrontational position when you can talk about economic relations [and] trade relations?” he said. The Palace on Monday fended off criticism that it did not have a coherent foreign policy. “If we are saying that we have an independent foreign policy, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to do business with other countries. This only means that we are not depending on the United States or any other ally to tell us what to do,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said, reacting to criticism from former Philippine ambassador to the United Nations Lauro Baja, who said the country’s foreign policy was like a pendulum, swinging between the United States and China. “We have an independent foreign policy. This only means that no one interferes and no one even tells us what to do. It is going to be a foreign policy that is made in the Philippines,” he added. Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. had earlier said that the Philippines will honor its treaty obligations and agreements with other countries as long as mutual interests between countries converge. “Any partnership with any country must be based on convergence of interests. In this regard, the highest form of convergence of interests in international relations is expressed through treaties and conventions. We will respect and abide by all our treaty commitments,” Yasay said in Tokyo. Yasay added that the Philippines is in the process of enhancing engagements with as many countries as possible in pursuit of an independent foreign policy that serves the needs of the people. He said the country seeks amity with all nations on the basis of a policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom and cooperation. The Foreign Affairs department on Monday said it could not confirm reports that Australia and Indonesia plan to conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea. In a report from Sydney’s Morning Herald, Indonesian Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said he had proposed a “peace patrol” with Australia in the South China Sea to “bring peace” and combat illegal fishing when the two countries’ defense ministers met in Bali last week. “It’s a joint patrol or coordinated patrol, it’s the same thing,” Ryamizard told reporters. “There are no intentions to disrupt the relationship [with China]. It is called a peace patrol, it brings peace. It is about protecting fish in each other’s areas.” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said that he would have to verify the report. With John Paolo Bencito, Sara Susanne Fabunan </s> President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to consult former president Fidel Ramos even if he has resigned as the government’s special envoy to China.

Duterte on Tuesday night confirmed that Ramos has quit.

“I’d like to thank him for helping me and being of service to the nation even at his age,” the President said in a news briefing Tuesday night in Davao City.

“I take his advice. But you know I have my own way of assessing it,” the President said.

“I will still consult with [Ramos] in the future. Yes of course, if he cares to listen. Hindi naman siguro ibig sabihin na nag-resign na siya as a special envoy, hindi na ako makapag tanong sa kanya (He may have resigned that that doesn’t mean that I can no longer ask him some questions),” he added.

Duterte admitted that he and Ramos had differences of opinion especially over his government’s policies regarding the United States.

The President said he understood where Ramos was coming from when the former president criticized him on his foreign policy statements.

But he countered that his expletive laced-comments were in defense of his and the country’s dignity.

“Ang akin is matter of honor. ‘Di kami nagkaintindihan diyan… Maybe Ramos does not like it. Ibahin mo si Ramos. ibahin mo ako, hindi naman ako nag-aral kung saan-saan. Dito lang ako. Local boy lang ako. Hindi naman ako military. Ako, mayor lang, naging Presidente (For me it is a matter of honor. We disagreed on that.

 But Ramos is different, and I am different. I did not study abroad. I am a local boy. I do not come from the military. I am merely a mayor who became president),” Duterte said.

“Alam ko pro-Western si (Ramos). Doon nag-aral ‘yan eh. Ayaw niyang makipag-away (I know Ramos is pro-western, he studied there. He does not want to fight),” the president said.

In his resignation letter, Ramos affirmed his full support to the Philippines’ interests.

“This letter is my resignation as your special envoy to China. But more important, it is also an affirmation of my full support of the national interests of our Team Philippines of 100.5 million Filipinos that you now lead,” Ramos said in his letter which was read by Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella.

“Given that your State Visit to the PROC [People’s Republic of China] was officially wide-ranging, which has resulted in renewed bilateral relations between our two countries, kindly allow me to step down as the special envoy of the President to the People’s Republic of China. We’d like to believe that the efforts of our team, of the special envoy, played a modest but productive role in the breaking of the ice that led to your successful visit,” Ramos said.

Abella said Ramos and Duterte “continue to have a solid and respectful relationship.” </s> Ex-Philippine leader Fidel Ramos has resigned as special envoy to China after criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against the United States and deadly war on crime.

Duterte said late Tuesday he had received a resignation letter from Ramos, an elderly stalwart of Philippine politics who had been a trusted ally of the new leader but recently branded his rule as a “huge disappointment and let-down.”

According to the president, the pair had disagreed on U.S. relations and the domestic crime war, which has claimed more than 4,000 lives in four months.

“I know he is pro-Western. He is a military man who studied there (in the US). You must remember Ramos finished his (studies) in West Point. He really does not want to fight (with the US),” Duterte told reporters.

Duterte appointed Ramos, president from 1992 to 1998, as his envoy to mend relations with Beijing, which had soured under the previous administration over competing territorial claims to the South China Sea.

Ramos, 88, traveled to Hong Kong in August on an “icebreaker” trip to meet with senior Chinese officials.

But Ramos did not join Duterte in Beijing last month for a state visit that cemented better ties and secured billions of dollars in Chinese investments and loans.

Ramos told GMA7 television this week he had resigned because he had done what was needed to improve ties with China.

But Duterte’s comments pointed to a much deeper falling out with Ramos, who he had repeatedly publicly thanked for supporting his bid to become president.

Ramos, a former police and military general, has for decades been a powerful political force in the Philippines, and as armed forces vice chief of staff he was key in turning the military against dictator Ferdinand Marcos during the 1986 “People Power” revolution.

Ramos has in recent weeks been openly critical of Duterte’s attacks on the U.S. and threats to end the two nations’ military alliance.

Duterte’s tirades have been partly in response to American criticism of his war on crime.

“So, what gives? Are we throwing away decades of military partnership, tactical proficiency, compatible weaponry, predictable logistics and soldier-to-soldier camaraderie just like that,” Ramos wrote in a newspaper column to mark Duterte’s 100th day in office.

Ramos has also been one of the few prominent political figures to directly criticize Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdown. </s> President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Ramos, a mentor who he said persuaded him to run for office, as special envoy to China to help repair ties soured by an international arbitration case in a maritime territorial dispute which went in Manila's favor in July, sparking outrage in Beijing.

Ramos's decision to quit a job he had barely started was due to the progress made during Duterte's visit, including what appears to be an end to China's blockade of a disputed fishing zone.

"He has done his job," a Ramos aide told Reuters. "President Duterte has visited Beijing and our fishermen are back in the disputed Scarborough Shoal. He has accomplished his mission."

The aide declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Ramos' office said an official statement would soon follow.

Ramos, an 88-year-old statesman widely respected in a country he led from 1992-1998, was quoted by GMA News Online as saying his China role was only to "break the ice".

Ramos is a supporter of Duterte but has recently turned critical of the maverick leader. In a newspaper column, he described Duterte's first 100 days in office as a "huge disappointment and letdown", an assessment that contrasts starkly with popular opinion.

Ramos said Duterte had spent too much energy on his war on drugs and neglected poverty, the environment and rising living costs and he described the president's hostility and mixed statements towards old ally the United States as "discombobulating".

But a Ramos aide on Tuesday said the resignation had nothing to do with his view on Duterte's performance.

"Please, do not put meaning into this, he remains a team Philippines player," the aide said.

The government gave little comment on the circumstances behind Ramos's resignation.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Ramos "was instrumental in the softening of ties", while presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said it was Duterte's decision whether or not to accept the resignation.

As his first step towards softening ties with China, Ramos spent five days in Hong Kong in August meeting "old friends" - a diplomat and an academic - and described his trip as an "ice breaker".

The two countries had previously had no high-level contact for five years.

Ramos never made it to China, however. His office in September said a trip there had been postponed. A few weeks later, Duterte went to Beijing himself, accompanied by about 200 businessmen, and plenty of fanfare.

"I still consider myself a part of the Duterte team whether they like it or not," Ramos was quoted as saying by local media. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (centre) walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday (AP photo)

BEIJING — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring that it had “lost” and he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.

Duterte made his comments in China, where he is visiting with at least 200 businesspeople to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally the United States deteriorate.

His trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, said $13.5 billion in deals would be signed

Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal ruling in the Hague over South China Sea disputes in favour of the Philippines, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.

“America has lost now,” Duterte told Chinese and Philippine businesspeople at a forum in the Great Hall of the People, attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

“I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he added.

“With that, in this venue, your honours, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,” Duterte said to applause. “I have separated from them. So I will be dependent on you for all time. But do not worry. We will also help as you help us.”

China has pulled out all the stops to welcome Duterte, including a marching band complete with batton-twirling band master at his official welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People, which most leaders do not get.

President Xi Jinping, meeting Duterte earlier in the day, called the visit a “milestone” in ties.

Xi told Duterte that China and the Philippines were brothers and they could “appropriately handle disputes”, though he did not mention the South China Sea in remarks made in front of reporters.

“I hope we can follow the wishes of the people and use this visit as an opportunity to push China-Philippines relations back on a friendly footing and fully improve things,” Xi said.

Following their meeting, during which Duterte said relations with China had entered a new “springtime”, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the South China Sea issue was not the sum total of relations.

“The two sides agreed that they will do what they agreed five years ago, that is to pursue bilateral dialogue and consultation in seeking a proper settlement of the South China Sea issue,” Liu said.

China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

In 2012, China seized the disputed Scarborough Shoal and denied Philippine fishermen access to its fishing grounds.

Liu said the shoal was not mentioned and he did not answer a question about whether Philippine fishermen would be allowed there. He said both countries had agreed on coastguard and fisheries cooperation, but did not give details.

Duterte’s tone towards Beijing is in contrast to the language he has used against the United States, after being infuriated by US criticism of his bloody war on drugs.

He has called US President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch” and told him to “go to hell” while alluding to severing ties with the old colonial power.

On Wednesday, to the cheers of hundreds of Filipinos in Beijing, Duterte said Philippine foreign policy was veering towards China.

“I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there,” Duterte said. “So time to say goodbye my friend.”

The same day, about 1,000 anti-US protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Manila calling for the removal of US troops from the southern island of Mindanao.

Duterte on Wednesday said the South China Sea arbitration case would “take the back seat” during talks, and that he would wait for the Chinese to bring up the issue rather than doing so himself.

Xi said issues that could not be immediately resolved should be set aside, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

China has welcomed the Philippines approaches, even as Duterte has vowed not to surrender any sovereignty to Beijing, which views the South China Sea Hague ruling as null and void.

China has also expressed support for his drug war, which has raised concern in Western capitals about extrajudicial killing.

Duterte’s overtures to China have been accompanied by signs of improving business ties with the world’s second largest economy.

China’s Liu said Beijing will restore Philippine agricultural exports to China and provide financing for Philippine infrastructure. </s> MANILA (Reuters) - The United States remains the “closest friend” of the Philippines but Manila wants to break away from a “mindset of dependency and subservience” and forge closer ties with other nations, the Philippine foreign minister said on Saturday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte interacts with reporters during a news conference upon his arrival from a four-day state visit in China at the Davao International Airport in Davao city, Philippines October 21, 2016. REUTERS/Lean Daval Jr.

The comments by Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from Washington, though he went on to strike a more conciliatory tone on Friday.

Yasay said in a Facebook posting that Duterte had “unmistakably” stated that severing ties with Washington was not in the nation’s interest.

However, he wrote that separation “implies breaking away from the debilitating mindset of dependency and subservience - economically and militarily - that have perpetuated our ‘little brown brother’ image to America, which has stunted our growth and advancement.”

He said Duterte had told Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing that “if they are not willing to lend their support... the Filipinos will chart their destiny alone, despite great odds.”

Yasay’s posting is the latest sign of an administration once again scrambling to put out fires after Duterte’s stunning declarations, which if delivered upon could upset the geopolitical balance in a region where China and the United States are vying aggressively for influence.

On Friday, Duterte’s economic managers were quick to clarify the Philippines was not cutting economies and trade ties with the United States.

Prior to Duterte taking office in late June, China was a bitter rival of the Philippines, and Manila was one of Washington’s most dependable Asian allies.

Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.

“It is not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut diplomatic relations. I cannot do that,” Duterte told reporters at a midnight news conference in his southern home city of Davao after he arrived from his four-day trip to Beijing.

Duterte’s abrupt pivot from Washington to Beijing is unlikely to be universally popular at home, however. On Tuesday, an opinion poll showed Filipinos still trust the United States far more than China. </s> The comments by Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his "separation" from Washington, though he went on to strike a more conciliatory tone on Friday.

Yasay said in a Facebook posting that Duterte had "unmistakably" stated that severing ties with Washington was not in the nation's interest.

However, he wrote that separation "implies breaking away from the debilitating mindset of dependency and subservience - economically and militarily - that have perpetuated our 'little brown brother' image to America, which has stunted our growth and advancement."

He said Duterte had told Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing that "if they are not willing to lend their support... the Filipinos will chart their destiny alone, despite great odds."

Yasay's posting is the latest sign of an administration once again scrambling to put out fires after Duterte's stunning declarations, which if delivered upon could upset the geopolitical balance in a region where China and the United States are vying aggressively for influence.

On Friday, Duterte's economic managers were quick to clarify the Philippines was not cutting economies and trade ties with the United States.

Prior to Duterte taking office in late June, China was a bitter rival of the Philippines, and Manila was one of Washington's most dependable Asian allies.

Duterte's efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.

"It is not severance of ties. When you say severance of ties, you cut diplomatic relations. I cannot do that," Duterte told reporters at a midnight news conference in his southern home city of Davao after he arrived from his four-day trip to Beijing.

Duterte's abrupt pivot from Washington to Beijing is unlikely to be universally popular at home, however. On Tuesday, an opinion poll showed Filipinos still trust the United States far more than China.
Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos quits as the Philippines' special envoy to China amid a falling out with his mentee current Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte.