Duterte says he will sign Paris agreement

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday, Nov. 7 that he would sign the Paris Climate agreement following an extensive debate with the members of his Cabinet.

The President previously said that he would not honor the agreement arguing that the deal is blocking the progress of developing countries like the Philippines.

"By the way, after so much debate ‘yung climate change, pipirmahan ko because a unanimous vote except for one or two. Ako ‘yung isa which was arguing about," the President said in a speech during the oath-taking ceremony for the new officers of the National Press Club in Malacanan.

The Philippines is bound to follow the agreement if it were to be signed. And in terms of enforcement, if it’s a binding treaty, there has to be a sanction, he said.

The problem, the President said, is that industrialized countries usually do not honor their financial commitments, especially the US.

And with the contributed money to a common fund, it does not say about payment of damages that a country will incur in case of a storm or a typhoon like Yolanda, he said.

Smaller countries like the Philippines can borrow money for projects intended for anti-pollution and anti-carbon emission, according to the President. (PND)