By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Taking note of the so-called “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and China, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday (2 April 2024) urged Filipinos to “not lose sight” of China’s illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea.
This developed as National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan reaffirmed the alliance between the two countries following the recent incidents of harassment by China’s forces within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.
“Let us not fall into the trap set by Chinese propaganda of refocusing the debate on a so-called promise while deflecting attention away from China’s government, thereby freeing and allowing them to continue with their illegal activities in our EEZ,” Teodoro stressed.
To recall, former Palace spokesman Harry Roque earlier claimed that then-President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping struck what he called a “gentleman’s agreement” to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting World War Two ship, is grounded and has become a symbol of the country’s sovereignty over the area.
But Roque clarified that FPRRD made no specific “agreement” on Ayungin Shoal.
He said that the deal made with China was to “respect the status quo” in the entire West Philippine Sea.
However, Duterte’s presidential adviser Salvador Panelo claimed in an interview over SMNI on Monday (01 April 2024) that the ex-president “did not enter” any gentleman’s agreement.
“While we realize that accountability is important in the issue of whether or not a so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was forged with China regarding the BRP Sierra Madre and Ayungin Shoal, we Filipinos must not lose sight of the fact that the main threat to our rights in the WPS is the Chinese Government’s illegal activities,” the defense chief stood firm in a statement.
Ayungin Shoal is called Ren’ai Jiao by China.
(el Amigo/MNM)
