28-3-2024 (MANILA) A former senator has criticised the secrecy surrounding President Rodrigo Duterte’s purported “gentleman’s agreement” with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the status quo in Ayungin Shoal, revealing what he called the duplicity of the past administration.
Former Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, who served under Duterte, recently disclosed that Duterte and Xi had struck a “gentleman’s agreement” to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippines’ military outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre, is situated in the West Philippine Sea.
Roque explained that this agreement was Duterte’s attempt to mend the strained relations between the Philippines and China during the Aquino administration.
Responding to Roque’s revelation, former senator Leila de Lima criticised the secrecy surrounding the agreement, stating that keeping such a deal hidden from the public showcased the duplicity of the past administration. She emphasised that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not be bound by this undisclosed agreement.
“A president cannot be bound by agreements secretly entered into by a predecessor for the simple reason that he has no way of complying with an agreement the details of which are subject to the recollection of those who knew about it, and therefore are highly unreliable,” De Lima stated.
She further highlighted that a “gentleman’s agreement” relied heavily on the integrity of the parties involved.
However, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya countered Roque’s claims, stating that there was no evidence to support the existence of a gentleman’s agreement. Even if such an agreement did exist, he asserted that the Marcos administration had already rescinded it.
The South China Sea has been a contentious issue, with Beijing asserting sovereignty over 90 percent of the region, including the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international court in the Hague ruled that China’s claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis.
Roque’s revelation that Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with Xi Jinping not to repair BRP Sierra Madre two years after leaving Malacañang only shows the duplicity of the past administration because of the fact that the agreement was kept secret from the public. (1/4)
— Leila de Lima (@AttyLeiladeLima) March 27, 2024
Chinese (Simplified)
Filipino
Indonesian
Malay
Thai