The grounded BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / INQUIRER file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robinhood Padilla on Wednesday said thatformer President Rodrigo Duterte did not enter into a supposed agreement with China to remove the grounded BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
“Nais ko lamang po ipaalam na kahit kailan hindi po nagkaroon ang bansang Tsina at Pangulong Duterte patungkol sa pagpapaaalis ng [BRP] Sierra Madre diyan po sa Ayungin Shoal. Ito ay pinatunayan din ng ating dating kalihim na si [Salvador] Medialdea,” said Padilla.
(I just want to let you know that China and President Duterte never had a discussion regarding the removal of the [BRP] Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. This was also confirmed by our former secretary [Salvador] Medialdea.)
Padilla made this pronouncement during the Senate’s 14th regular session, where he noted that similar accusations have been thrown against former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — both of whom have categorically denied making such a commitment.
While Padilla did not specify where he based his assertion, former executive secretary Medialdea has also denied that then president Duterte entered into such an agreement with China even while he was building stronger ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Ang atin pong dating pangulo ay master sa geopolitics at hindi niya kailanman ibebenta ang Pilipinas … ang ating dating pangulo ay nagtanggol ng ating soberanya hindi po kailanman siya magiging traydor,” Padilla added.
(Our former president is a master of geopolitics and he will never sell the Philippines. He defended our sovereignty. He will never be a traitor.)
Padilla also pointed out that it was during the Duterte administration that the Philippines’ armed forces ans Coast Guard expanded its assets.
China earlie claimed that the Philippines agreed to pull out the BRP Sierra Madre without actually citing which government leader said so.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself, however, denied such agreements, categorically rescinding it should it actually exist.
The Philippines and China have been in a long-running maritime dispute after the latter country claimed that it owns the entirety of the South China Sea, including portions of the West Philippine Sea with its so-called nine-dash line claim.
The Philippines challenged China’s claim through the International Permanent Court of Arbitration (IPCA) in The Hague in 2013, and secured a favorable ruling in 2016.