MANILA – The administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is rejecting “unsubstantiated or imaginary promises” of alleged secret non-binding gentleman’s agreement or deals by the previous administration.
According to National Security Council adviser Eduardo Año, the Chief Executive is very clear that he is unaware of any secret or gentleman’s agreement regarding its territories.
“If there was such done under the previous administration, the same had been rescinded,” Año said in a statement over the weekend.
He added: “Any such agreements, if proven to be true, are inimical to the national interest and the constitution.”
“If there is any such agreement, it is the responsibility of those responsible for it to explain it before the Filipino people but it is not and will never be binding upon this administration,” stressed Año.
Año, a former Department of Interior and Local Government secretary during the Duterte administration, also called on Filipinos to stand their ground and push back against “corrosive narratives” that seek to undermine the national interest.
“We should not fall into a trap which clearly seeks to sow division in our country and weaken our resolve in asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” Año said.
Año issued the statement following the recent discourse of an alleged “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping concerning the conduct of the two countries in the West Philippine Sea.
President Marcos said he was not aware of any such agreement, but the Chinese government insisted that the Chief Executive was briefed about deals on how to manage the West Philippine Sea./PN
