Gabinete ni Dating Pang. Duterte, itinanggi ang isyu ng ‘gentleman's agreement’ sa China...
Gabinete ni Dating Pang. Duterte, itinanggi ang isyu ng ‘gentleman's agreement’ sa China; ibang kasunduan na naikasa umano sa ibang administrasyon, ibinunyag
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00:00 Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea's revelation about the Gentleman's Agreement was surprised by congressmen.
00:10 Mela Lesmora has a report.
00:12 In their joint hearing, former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon,
00:25 former Defense Secretary and now BCDA Chair Delphine Lorenzana, said that there was a Gentleman's Agreement
00:31 or secret agreement between former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the West Philippine Sea.
00:39 According to Lorenzana, even then, there was a mention of an agreement between Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wang Shilian,
00:46 but it was before and they have no information about this.
00:50 He was claiming that there was this agreement between the embassy of China and officials of the government.
01:00 When we grounded that ship there in Ayungin, that we promised to pull it out.
01:09 And I asked him, "How sure are you that what you're talking is true?"
01:13 And he said, "Because I was here."
01:15 Ambassador Wang said that he was here as a junior staff in 1999 when that Sinomad incident happened.
01:22 And so I said, "I cannot find somebody from the retired ranks of the AFP to corroborate what he was saying."
01:30 So we leave it at that.
01:31 In Medialdea's statement, he argued that if there was an agreement about the West Philippine Sea,
01:38 it happened not under the administration of Duterte, but under the administration of former President Noy Aquino.
01:45 This is about the resupply mission of BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin,
01:50 which should be limited to water and food.
01:54 Voltaire Gasmin promised the Chinese embassy that he will deliver only food and water to the Marines assigned to the vessel.
02:09 Mr. Chair, was there any talk with the previous administration on rescinding that agreement?
02:13 No, there was none.
02:15 It was the call of the President, who is the chief architect, whether to respect that or not.
02:19 So Mr. Chair, based on the testimony, just to recap, there is a denial of the existence of a gentleman's agreement.
02:26 But there is the affirmation of an existing agreement, which is not a gentleman's agreement.
02:31 It was in public.
02:31 Not entered into by our administration, but before, but the administration before us.
02:39 When the DFA asked, they said they have no information about this.
02:43 And even though it was a coincidence, they said that their ally did not know about this.
02:47 Mr. Chairman, there was no such thing transmitted to me by Secretary Gasmin when we were trying to,
02:56 when he was briefing me about the job before I assumed office, Mr. Chairman.
03:03 But it is not true that we did not do some repairs, because in 2021, as I said a while ago,
03:14 in my opening statement, that was the start of the water cannon of China,
03:21 because they claimed that we are bringing repair materials to Sierra Madre.
03:27 Because of Medialdea's revelation, the committee also invited former Defense Secretary Volter Gasmin to the next hearing.
03:35 At a press conference, the leader of the Camera cried out that whatever happens, their support for our troop that is stationed in the West Philippine Sea is complete.
03:45 Rest assured, when the budget season comes, this August, September, the House of Representatives, as always and as expected,
03:56 will be in full support to the Philippine Coast Guard, to the Philippine Navy or any other agency that are tasked to help protect our sovereignty.
04:08 In the next joint hearing, we are looking forward to the presentation of other personalities and what new information will be shared on the issue.
04:18 Melales Moras for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.