BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and RAYMOND AFRICA
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, met in Malacañang on Wednesday night and discussed the latter’s meeting last month with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The former President, who was walking with a cane, arrived at the Palace at around 6.15 p.m. Wednesday, accompanied by Sen. Christopher Go and former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
He was welcomed by Marcos, accompanied by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr., National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
Marcos and Duterte first had a one-on-one meeting, which was later expanded to include the Cabinet secretaries, Go and Medialdea.
Garafil said the two leaders talked about Duterte’s meeting with Xi along with “other issues” but did not specify.
She said “the former president likewise gave some good pieces of advice to President Marcos” but did not elaborate.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Marcos-Duterte meeting was brought up during the senators’ dinner with Marcos also on Wednesday night.
“What he (Marcos) mentioned to us during the duration of (former) President Duterte’s meeting with Xi Jinping, the topic of the West Philippine Sea was never brought up.”
“It was actually (former) President Duterte who mentioned, according to the President (Marcos),” he said.
“It was actually President Duterte who mentioned to Xi Jinping that on the issue of the West Philippine Sea, look kindly, look kindly to the Philippines… So, it was actually the former president who shared his thoughts that China should look kindly to their neighbor in the south of the Philippines. That’s this as far as the topic has gone and we discussed all the topics around the country,” he added.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said “many issues” were discussed during the meeting between Marcos and Duterte and their discussion was “very productive.”
“But whatever the content of their discussion, of former President Duterte and President Marcos, let us let them announce it. I’m not at liberty to say it,” he said.
Duterte met with Xi met in Beijing on July 17. According to Chinese state media, Xi
told Duterte to continue promoting cooperation between the two countries.
Duterte was in China to visit the Fujian Normal University in Fujian where a school building — Soledad College that is used by foreign students studying in the said university — was built and named after his late mother, Soledad Duterte.
Marcos has expressed hope that the continuing activities of the Chinese in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, including the shadowing of Filipino vessels by China’s Coast Guard, were discussed during Duterte’s meeting with Xi. He also welcomed “any new lines of communication” between Manila and Beijing as he said it might help improve the maritime situation.
China and the Philippines have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, on July 12, 2016, won a landmark ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that invalidated China’s nine-dash theory and claim over the almost entire South China Sea.
Duterte, in 2020, said the arbitral award “is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon” and “firmly reject attempts to undermine it.” About a year later, he described the arbitral ruling as a “scrap of paper” that is meant to be thrown into the waste basket.
Zubiri said no other topics about the Duterte-Xi meeting were discussed during the dinner which was attended by 21 other senators. Not present were Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III, deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros, and Sen. Francis Escudero because of prior commitments.
Zubiri also said Marcos was aware of the resolution about China that the Senate adopted last Tuesday, “but we didn’t really touch much of it because it was very cordial and very light dinner. The President did not ask about the resolution but I think he knows we had a meeting with the secretary of foreign affairs.”
He said the issue on the West Philippine Sea was cut short as they discussed other pressing matters like flooding, and problems in the agricultural sector, among others.
Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday said the Marcos administration may opt to file a “Special Action for Recognition of Foreign Judgment” before the Supreme Court to formally recognize the PCA ruling as part of the law of the land.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum, Escudero said his suggestion could be one of the options in giving flesh to the intention of Senate Resolution 718, which condemned China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea and urged the Philippine government to “take appropriate action in asserting and securing the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone.”
He said the High Court’s recognition of the Arbitral Ruling could be a better alternative to bringing the matter before the United Nations General Assembly.
Teodoro, on a recent Chinese proposal to jointly hold military exercises with the Philippines, said it will have to be studied first.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian made the “informal” proposal last week, during celebration of the 96th foundation anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army where he was among the invited guests.
“There is a proposal to the chief of staff (Brawner) but we are still studying it,” said Teodoro.
“We have to see their areas of convergence. So right now I have no thoughts. I’m waiting for the chief of staff to make the appropriate recommendation,” he also said.
On talks about possible trilateral patrols among the armed forces of Philippines, US and Japan, Teodoro said, “We’re still discussing it.”
“We will meet again with the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and NSA (National Security Adviser) to discuss this further,” said Teodoro, without saying when the meeting will be. — With Victor Reyes
