Lanao del Norte 1st district Rep. Khalid Dimaporo (Facebook)

Lanao del Norte 1st district Rep. Khalid Dimaporo says former president Rodrigo Duterte's presence isn't needed by congressmen to confirm whether the latter had a "gentleman’s agreement" or not with China on the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

"Personally, for me, I don't believe that we need the [former] president to determine or not whether there was a gentleman's agreement," Dimaporo said in a press conference Tuesday, April 30. 

The Mindanaoan solon gave these remarks even as the House of Representatives was preparing to launch an investigation on the alleged pact between former president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the WPS. 

According to Dimaporo, Duterte's alter egos from his Cabinet can already provide this confirmation to the solons that will hold the inquiry. 

"The agreement could have been made between our former president and President Xi Jinping, but the implementing arms are the ones that are providing the action," he said. 

"So if there was an agreement being honored, then it would be the DND (Department of National Defense) secretary that will implement that. If there was an agreement that was honored, then the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) secretary would be implementing that," he explained. 

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"So personally for me, I don't believe that we need him, former president Duterte to be there just to say, 'You really did an agreement.'"

"You can see, you can determine that based on the conduct of the DFA, the DND, and the armed forces when it comes to the [WPS]," he said. 

Following Monday's plenary session, Romualdez floated the possibility of inviting Cabinet officials of the previous government to attend the House probe on the supposed Duterte-Xi pact. 

Former president Duterte--known for his friendly stace toward China--is the direct predecessor of incumbent President Marcos.