Gabinete ni ex-Pres. Duterte, itinanggi ang isyu ng ‘gentleman’s agreement’ sa China;
Gabinete ni ex-Pres. Duterte, itinanggi ang isyu ng ‘gentleman’s agreement’ sa China;
Dating Executive Sec. Medialdea, iginiit na Aquino administration ang nakipagkasundo sa China
Dating Executive Sec. Medialdea, iginiit na Aquino administration ang nakipagkasundo sa China
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Former Duterte administration officials rejected the issue of the gentleman's agreement in China.
00:05 In the hearing, former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said that they are not the ones,
00:11 but the former Aquino administration is the one who is in agreement with China.
00:15 Mela Lesmora is in the report. Rise and shine, Mela.
00:19 In their joint hearing,
00:25 former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon,
00:33 former Defense Secretary and now BCDA Chair Delphine Lorenzana,
00:37 both rejected the gentleman's agreement between former President Rodrigo Duterte
00:43 and Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the West Philippine Sea.
00:47 According to Lorenzana,
00:48 the former Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wang Shilian was also mentioned in the agreement,
00:54 but this was before and they have no information about this.
00:59 He was claiming that there was this agreement between the embassy of China and officials of the government.
01:09 When we grounded that ship there in Ayungin, that we promised to pull it out.
01:17 And I asked him, "How sure are you that what you're talking is true?"
01:21 And he said, "Because I was here."
01:23 Ambassador Wang said that he was here as a junior staff in 1999 when the Central Madrid incident happened.
01:31 And so I said, "I cannot find somebody from the retired ranks of the AFP to corroborate what he was saying."
01:38 So we leave it at that.
01:39 In Medialdea's report, he argued that if there was an agreement about the West Philippine Sea,
01:46 that it happened not under the administration of Duterte, but under the administration of former President Noy Aquino.
01:54 This is about the resupply mission of BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin,
01:58 which should only be limited to water and food.
02:02 Voltaire Gasmin promised the Chinese embassy that he will deliver only food and water to the Marines assigned to the vessel.
02:17 Mr. Chair, was there any talk with the previous administration on rescinding that agreement?
02:21 No, there was none.
02:23 It was the call of the President, who is the chief architect, whether to respect that or not.
02:27 So Mr. Chair, based on testimony, just to recap, there is a denial of the existence of a gentleman's agreement,
02:34 but there is the affirmation of an existing agreement, which is not a gentleman's agreement, it was in public.
02:40 Not entered into by our administration, but before, but the administration before us.
02:47 When the DFA asked, they said they have no information about this,
02:52 and even Lorenzana did not know about this agreement.
02:56 Mr. Chairman, there was no such thing transmitted to me by Secretary Gasmin when we were trying to,
03:05 when he was briefing me about the job before I assumed office, Mr. Chairman.
03:12 But it is not true that we did not do some repairs, because in 2021,
03:20 as I said a while ago in my opening statement, that was the start of the water cannon of China,
03:30 because they claimed that we are bringing repair materials to Sierra Madre.
03:36 Because of Medialdea's revelation, the committee also invited former Defense Secretary Volter Gasmin to the next hearing.
03:44 In a press conference, the camera's leader insisted that whatever happens,
03:48 they will support our troops stationed in the West Philippine Sea.
03:53 Rest assured, when the budget season comes, this August, September,
04:00 the House of Representatives, as always and as expected, will be in full support to the Philippine Coast Guard,
04:08 to the Philippine Navy or any other agency that are tasked to help protect our sovereignty.
04:16 In the next joint hearing, we are looking forward to the presentation of other personalities
04:22 and what new information will be shared on the issue.
04:26 Mela Lesmora for Pambansang TV in the new Philippines.