MANILA – The Senate was urged to conduct an investigation in the supposed “gentleman’s agreement” involving the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and the Chinese government, led by President Xi Jinping.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday filed Senate Resolution 982 calling on the Senate to probe the so-called deal with China wherein only food and water supplies can be delivered to Filipino troops on BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
“The ‘gentleman’s agreement’ would explain the relentless harassment via water cannons of our resupply missions by Chinese forces,” Hontiveros said.
She added: “If confirmed to be true, this ‘gentleman’s agreement’ would be tantamount to a surrender of the Philippines’ sovereignty, and, in other words, an act of treason.”
Hontiveros also said that the National Security Council, through its Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, was not aware of such an agreement.
“This ‘gentleman’s agreement’ is treasonous. While China, in any case, will most likely attack our resupply missions en route to Ayungin, this sham of an agreement only gave Beijing more ammunition to assert her baseless claims,” Hontiveros said.
“Kung totoo ang kasunduan, mukhang isinuko nga ni Duterte ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas,” she added. “Pati pambansang seguridad natin nalagay sa pahamak dahil sa walang-dangal na ‘gentleman’s agreement’ na yan.”
The opposition lawmaker emphasized that rehabilitating BRP Sierra Madre is a must as it is a “strategic outpost” that will assert Philippines’ sovereignty over Ayungin Shoal.
The BRP Sierra Madre is a World War II era tank landing ship that the Philippine Navy deliberately ran aground on Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a military outpost and as a symbol of Philippine sovereignty over the disputed territory./PN
