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Better to ask Duterte on alleged secret pact with China, says Tulfo
Better to ask Duterte on alleged secret pact with China, says Tulfo
At A Glance
- Only former president Rodrigo Duterte can confirm or deny the rumors that the Philippines had some sort of deal with China concerning Ayungin Shoal during his term, Deputy Majority Leader for Communications ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (left), ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
Only former president Rodrigo Duterte can confirm or deny the rumors that the Philippines had some sort of deal with China concerning Ayungin Shoal during his term.
Deputy Majority Leader for Communications ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo had this to say Thursday, March 14 when he was asked in a press conference about the longstanding rumor.
The alleged secret pact between Duterte and China often gets referenced whenever there are news about Chinese vessels' attempts to block Philippine boats that are on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Siguro po ang right person na sasagot ho diyan ay ang dating pangulo. Kasi hindi naman ho ako, kami, privy, maging ang administrasyon po na ito,” Tulfo, who takes pride in being a former broadcast journalist, said.
(I guess the right person to answer that is the former president. Because I, we, even this administration, isn't privy to this.)
“So maganda po siguro, the former president will answer that kung meron bang kasunduan. Kasi I believe before, previously, sinasabi nila wala, dineny nila 'yung sa Ayungin Shoal na yan,” added the House leader.
(So the better recourse is the former president will answer that, whether there's an agreement or not. Because I believe they previously said there weren't any, they denied about the Ayungin Shoal.
The source of the rumor is a supposed Chinese diplomat who disclosed the alleged agreement on conditions of anonymity.
Allegedly, China wanted the Philippines to “commit not to transport large-scale building materials to reinforce the Sierra Madre,” and that China agreed to let only one vessel pass through during regular rotations and resupply missions.
“It would be better, and the right person to ask that question and answer it is 'yung dating pangulo (is the former president),” Tulfo reiterated.
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The dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre serves as the Philippines' outpost in Ayungin. It carries a platoon of Filipino soldiers.
Duterte, who sat in Malacañang from 2016 to 2022, was known for his friendly stance toward China during his term.
He also rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with his defeatist statements regarding the Philippines' territorial claims at-sea against China.
Duterte is currently a critic of President Marcos, his direct successor, who has vowed that he would never give up even an inch of the country’s territory.