By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Saying that if the dilapidated World War II-era ship BRP Sierra sinks into the sea because of its disrepair due to the “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Roa Rodrigo and Chinese President Xi Jinping, retired Supreme Court (SC) Justice Antonio Carpio has expressed the possibility that China will ultimately take over the Ayungin Shoal even if it’s within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The former SC Justice made the statement after the feisty ex-president has confirmed his “gentleman’s agreement” with Xi at a press conference on Thursday (11 April 2024) in Davao City, claiming that its main goal was to avert armed confrontation between Filipinos and Chinese in the West Philippine Sea.

“He (Duterte) said it was [to keep] peace. But in the agreement, he agreed we won’t supply, we won’t repair (BRP) Sierra Madre, and will only bring in water and food. But that will cause the [warship] to sink since it’s rusty already,” Carpio told reporters on the sidelines of a forum at the University of the Philippines.

He hinted that Duterte’s secret deal with the Chinese leader would eventually allow China to take full control of the Ayungin Shoal, where the rusty BRP Sierra Madre is grounded since 1999 during the administration of then President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada.

To recall, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deliberately grounded the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal in May 1999, four years after the Chinese built what they initially called fishermen’s shelter on nearby Panganiban (Mischief) Reef despite protests from the Philippines.

Both Ayungin and Panganiban are well within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

If BRP Sierra Madre sinks, Carpio said: “We won’t have an outpost anymore. We can’t protect Ayungin Shoal … and what China will do is they will enter Ayungin Shoal, and we lose another feature in the South China Sea.”

With this scenario, the former magistrate supported a legislative inquiry proposed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros to look into the deal, which he said was “against the national interest.”

“I agree with the inquiry to be able to craft a law that would mete out imprisonment to those who commit treason during peacetime,” Carpio stressed.

(el Amigo/MNM)