DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr yesterday called for a stop to China’s claims about the existence of a “gentleman’s agreement” and a “new model” in connection with the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
This as he and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año denied the claim of the Chinese embassy last Saturday that they were among those who approved the supposed new model that seeks to manage tension at Ayungin Shoal.
The new model was first by disclosed by the Chinese embassy about three weeks ago. The information resurfaced over a week ago, prompting Teodoro and Año’s office to deny the existence of such arrangement.
Last Saturday, the Chinese embassy said the supposed new model was approved by “key officials in the Philippine chain of command,” including Teodoro and Año who is also the chairman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).
The embassy described the new model and the gentleman’s agreement that it said it reached with the previous Duterte administration as “confidence-building” measures “aimed at managing disputes, avoiding conflicts and maintaining peace, and has nothing to do with each other’s sovereign positions.”
The Chinese embassy said the new model led to a “smooth” delivery of supplies to troops at Ayungin Shoal last February 2. It noted a statement from AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla who described the mission as “flawless.”
It said the AFP Western Command has made “repeated confirmation” of the new model, and asked why the new model was abandoned by the Philippines “without any good reason after it worked only once.”
“And who made the decision to abandon the `new model’? Could it be that managing differences and avoiding conflicts go against the interests of certain forces?” the embassy said.
Two resupply missions were conducted at Ayungin Shoal after the February 2 “flawless” mission. The March 5 and March 23 missions were both harassed by Chinese vessels, leaving seven Navy personnel injured and causing damage to civilian-chartered and Philippine Coast Guard vessels.
The gentleman’s agreement supposedly forged by China and the Duterte administration calls for status quo at Ayungin Shoal, with the Philippines refraining from bringing construction materials to the shoal, but deliver only food and water to Filipino troops in the area.
The existence of the gentleman’s agreement has been also denied earlier by Teodoro and Año.
The Chinese embassy said the Philippine side was briefed about the gentleman’s agreement during a courtesy call of Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian to Teodoro on July 5 last year.
Yesterday, Teodoro said, “I would like to clearly state that any insinuation that the Department of National Defense is a party to any ‘new model’ is a devious machination of China through their embassy in Manila, and it is curious that it comes right after their actions were condemned in the recent Squad meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.”
By “Squad,” Teodoro was referring to him and his counterparts from US, Japan and Australia. The four defense chiefs met in Hawaii last May 2 to discuss various issues of mutual concerns, including the West Philippine Sea dispute.
Teodoro said there were no discussions about a gentleman’s agreement and the new model during Huang’s courtesy call on him, contrary to the Chinese embassy’s statement. The courtesy call occurred a month after Teodoro took over as defense secretary in June last year.
“This charade must stop,” he said referring China’s lies.
Teodoro also disclosed that he has issued a directive for DND officials not to communicate with Chinese embassy officials days after Huang’s courtesy call.
“I reiterate that I have disallowed any contact between the DND and the Chinese Embassy since the courtesy call of Ambassador Huang Xilian,” he said.
“I am issuing this statement to generate awareness on this clear attempt by China to advance another falsehood in order to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” added Teodoro.
Teodoro advised Filipinos, the media, and the international community “to beware of China’s methods of manipulation, interference, and malign influence in furthering its own interests.”
ABSURD
Año said China’s claim about the presence of a new model “is absolutely absurd, ludicrous and preposterous.”
“No one in the Philippine government is, nor have been, empowered nor authorized to enter into or commit to any sort of agreement, understanding, or arrangement – more so informal ones — by our President,” Año said.
Año said he has not talked with any Chinese embassy official “directly or indirectly on any matter, much more to discuss any arrangement or deal with regards to our rightful and routinary resupply operations in Ayungin Shoal,” after the Chinese ambassador paid him a courtesy call early last year.
Año also said neither he or any other official of the NTF-WPS has agreed to any proposal that will compromise national interest from “agents of a foreign power actively engaged in oppressing us in our territories and waters.”
“Nor will we ever even entertain proposals principally premised or grounded on the illegal, debunked, and fabricated nine- or 10-dash line,” he added, referring to China’s excessive claim in the South China Sea.
“The Chinese Embassy needs to be reminded that you can never deceive the Filipino people with your fabricated stories, bluffs, and fake exchanges of communication just to support your illegal claim of Philippine territory as well as to justify your illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions particularly the use of military-grade lasers, water cannons, dangerous blocking maneuvers, and ramming of our vessels which has caused wounded casualties on our side,” Año said.
DISTRACTION
Año said the Chinese embassy statement was meant to distract the attention of people from the “bigger story” which is “piling of dead corral rubble” at Sandy Cays 1, 2 and 3 near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island.
“This is the bigger story that they want to dislodge from the headlines and deflect attention from. It has truly reached a new low of pathetic desperation,” he said.
Año, who has earlier denied the presence of such new model, said this will be the last time he will address the issue, noting that such arrangement is “clearly fake news and disinformation.”
“We enjoin our friends and partners in the media to remember that this has been definitively put to rest by no less than the President of our Republic,” he said.
“The next time the Chinese Embassy releases fake news and disinformation similar to this we ask that you and everyone kindly view and treat these releases for what they really are — a waste of yours and everyone’s time,” said Año.
AFP Western Command spokesman Capt. Ariel Coloma declined comment on the latest Chinese statement.
