Former Defense chief Orly Mercado does not believe it is possible for former president Joseph Estrada to commit to tow away BRP Sierra Madre from the West Philippine Sea as he was the one who ordered its grounding—along with another navy vessel— in the first place.
Mercado, who served during the Estrada administration, rejected columnist Rigoberto Tiglao's claim that it was Estrada who promised to remove the navy ship—a claim that was also immediately denied by the former president's sons, Senators JV and Jinggoy.
"I don't believe that the President would have given them the promise," the former official said in an interview with ANC.
It would be far-fetched for Estrada to tow away Sierra Madre, which has been beached in the Ayungin Shoal since 1999, as he was the one who ordered its deliberate grounding when China started its incursions into the Philippine waters, Mercado said.
He also said Sierra Madre was deliberately grounded along with BRP Benguet, which was in the Scarborough Shoal.
But Benguet was immediately removed due to what looked like pressure from Beijing after it supposedly warned not to attend an upcoming ASEAN Summit in Manila if the Philippines would not do so.
But that did not mean a commitment was made, Mercado said.
On Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila maintained that the Philippines' made such a promise, which was "put on record and well-documented."
Beijing's assertion came at the height of the dangerous water cannon attack its coast guard perpetrated against Philippine personnel in the Ayungin Shoal, which happened on August 5.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had already said there was no promise made by the government.
Beijing has yet to support its claim.