The national government is not aware of and would not support any agreement between the Philippines and China to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) since it would be detrimental to the country's national interest, an official of the National Security Council (NSC) said.

NSC Asst. Director General and National Task Force for West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said such supposed agreement being referred to by China "infringes and violates our sovereignty as a nation" if it really exists.

"[China] has repeatedly claimed that there was an alleged promise to remove or tow away BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. In so far as the National Task Force on West [Philippine] Sea is concerned, we have not seen any document from the former administration that validates or confirms the existence of this so-called 'gentleman’s agreement' and the terms of such agreement under the previous administration," Malaya said on Holy Wednesday, March 27.

"Marcos Jr. administration is not bound by any such agreement because it is detrimental to the national interest," he added.

Malaya made the remark after former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque claimed that ex-president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping had a "gentleman's agreement" over the disputed shoal. 

According to Roque, Duterte and Xi agreed to avoid building new structures in the WPS, which include sending construction materials to repair BRP Sierra Madre, and to allow only one supply boat to enter Ayungin Shoal without escort ships from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) during resupply mission "to maintain the status quo" in the South China Sea.

Roque clarified that the verbal agreement did not include the removal of BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. China had earlier claimed that there was a commitment from a former Philippine president to tow away the Navy ship but it was not clear whether it was the same agreement that Roque had revealed.

In any case, Malaya said that such supposed agreement has already been "rescinded" when the administration of President Marcos Jr. came.

"Therefore, China’s repeated reference to such 'promises' serves no purpose as there is no legally-binding agreement between the two countries under the Marcos Jr. administration," Malaya added.

BRP Sierra Madre, an active Philippine Navy warship despite its dilapidated condition, was deliberately ran aground off Ayungin Shoal in 1997 to serve as a military outpost by the AFP and maintain the country's sovereignty over the area amid the expansionist ambitions of China.

Filipino marines and sailors are deployed by the Navy on a rotation basis on board the BRP Sierra Madre. A routine resupply mission is conducted at least twice a month to bring food and other provisions for the troops manning the Navy ship.

But Chinese vessels have started getting aggressive to prevent the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal. 

This month, China Coast Guard vessels performed dangerous maneuvers and used water cannons during the March 5 and March 23 resupply missions which resulted to damage to Philippine civilian supply boats, collision of vessels, and injuries to Filipino military personnel.

China justified their use of force as it accused the Philippine vessels of bringing construction materials to Ayungin Shoal to fix BRP Sierra Madre.

Malaya said the supposed gentleman's agreement "is not legally binding by its very nature." 

Defense press rejects China's 'manipulation' claim

Meanwhile, a group of journalists covering national defense and security in the Philippines, including the developments in the West Philippine Sea, condemned the claims of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy in the Philippines that Filipino journalists covering the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal are "manipulating" the videos they recorded to paint a picture that would make the Philippines looks like a "victim" of the heated confrontations in the WPS. 

"The journalists who join these missions risk their lives in the face of unwanted aggression to bring the unvarnished truth to light. It is unfortunate [that] some would still call the work of these independent Filipino journalists as manipulated sensationalism," the Defense Press Corps (DPC) of the Philippines said in a statement.

"We reject and condemn this false accusation," it added.

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) and National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) also condemned the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy in the Philippines over the remarks.

Power generators for WPS stations

In a related development, the Navy received 10 units of power generators donated by the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loans Associations, Inc. (AFPSLAI) to light up military stations in features occupied by the Philippines in the WPS.

The country occupies a total of nine features in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) including Pagasa (Thitu) Island, the largest of them, which is equipped with an airstrip and other facilities.

Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., Navy chief, underscored the importance of the mission critical equipment in assisting personnel who put their lives on the line to defend the borders of the nation against all forms of threats, particularly in the WPS.

"Your contribution fulfills an immediate necessity for our troops and serves as a reminder that we can rely on your support in times of need," he stated.