From the Newsrooms: March 24 to April 6, 2024

Continued aggression in WPS reveals Duterte’s alleged agreement with China

REPORTAGE ON the West Philippine Sea hit new ground with the revelation of an alleged “gentleman’s agreement” between President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On March 23, the Chinese Coast Guard attacked Unaizah May 4 (UM4) with water cannons while the resupply boat was en route to the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine military outpost in the Ayungin Shoal. Several media reports highlighted that the attack caused physical harm to Filipinos on board the UM4 and damaged the wooden boat. In response, Rappler quoted Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu who said that the Philippines broke its promise to remove BRP Sierra Madre from the shoal and continues to send supplies to the outpost. The same report recalled that in August 2023, Marcos had already denied that the Philippines had made such a promise. He clearly disclaimed any agreement on the WPS during his administration. 

On March 27, former Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed in a Frontline Pilipinas report that Duterte had entered into a “gentleman’s agreement” with China in 2016 to maintain the status quo in the WPS. According to Roque, these included ceasing the sending construction materials to fix the old outpost.

In the same report, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said that there were no documents that “validate(s) or confirm(s) the existence of this so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’” nor that the Philippines agreed to remove BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal.

Roque later clarified in a One News’ Stroycon interview that the agreement did not involve towing out the military outpost as China claimed.

Several media organizations suspended programs during the Holy Week break. Of the primetime news programs, only 24 Oras aired on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday.

On April 1, 24 Oras reported Marcos had signed Executive Order No. 57 which created a council to oversee and suggest measures and policies to strengthen the country’s maritime security and domain awareness. The same report said that Marcos would not honor any agreement made by the previous administration regarding the contested waters. 

The 24 Oras report quoted retired justices Antonio Carpio and Francis Jardeleza who supported Marcos’ stand on the said agreement. Carpio said that the arrangement placed the Philippines on the short end, explaining that if the country did not continue to maintain the BRP

Sierra Madre, the military outpost would sink and we lose our presence in Ayungin. Jardaleza said that as the primary “architect” of the administration’s foreign policy, Marcos had the right to not honor the agreement.

Another former spokesperson for the Duterte administration, disclaimed that there was ever an agreement. In an ANC report on April 2, lawyer Salvador Panelo said that he had talked with Duterte about it and the former president did not make any verbal agreement with China regarding the Ayungin Shoal. In the same report, Roque pointed out that the agreement was not specific to the Ayungin Shoal but to the entire WPS, a claim which further damaged the image of the administration he served.

The media reported on April 3, Senator Risa Hontiveros’ statement saying the gentleman’s agreement was “treasonous.” Hontiveros called for a senate investigation on the issue. 

Frontline Pilipinas published an explainer on April 5 recalling that the BRP Sierra Madre along with the BRP Benguet were stationed in the Ayungin Shoal and the Scarborough Shoal respectively in May 1999. The Philippine Navy under the Estrada administration established these military outposts to prevent Chinese occupation of the WPS. The Chinese government protested and ordered the towing of both ships. According to the report, China threatened not to push through with the supposed state visit of then-Chinese premier Zhu Rhongji if the country did not remove the outposts. As a compromise, the government decided to pull out BRP Benguet. 

The report said that in Duterte’s agreement with China, the latter allowed supply boats to deliver food and water only on the BRP Sierra Madre; but prohibited the construction on the ship.  which has been in a state of disrepair. According to the explainer, the agreement explains China’s aggression on Filipino boats doing resupply and the rotation and reprovisioning of troops missions. It added that China just wanted the military outpost to rot and decay until it had no use. The explainer raised some important questions: Can China direct the Philippines on what to do within the waters of its exclusive economic zone? Can China continue to act on the verbal agreement it made with an official who was no longer in government? 

Meanwhile, in other news:

• On March 26, Pagasa warned the public about the danger of the rising heat that could reach up to 50*C at the onset of the dry season which officially started on March 22. According to Pagasa heat index of 42 to 51*C falls under the “danger” level which may cause heat exhaustion and other heat-related ailments. Since then, media have reported the heat index at dangerous levels in different cities and provinces; with  the highest recorded in Roxas, Capiz at 48*C. The media also followed the suspension of face-to-face classes in several areas because of extreme heat.
  
  
• The media reported the rise in pertussis or whooping cough cases in the country. Several reports said that the Department of Health (DOH) has received vaccines on March 23 and has launched a vaccination campaign while continuing to monitor the illness. According to a TV Patrol report on April 1, the country had already recorded 862 cases as of March 23.
  
  Pertussis and measles cases have afflicted different parts of the world. As reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on April 6, the World Health Organization called countries in the Western Pacific region, including the Philippines, to “intensify” the catch-up immunization efforts. The same report noted that the Philippines is among the top five countries of zero-dose children for all kinds of immunization vaccines; as the Covid-19 pandemic imposed mobility restrictions that suspended regular health services, causing the severe “immunization gap.”
  
  
• On April 3, the Davao Regional Trial Court issued warrants of arrest against religious leader Apollo Quiboloy and five others for child abuse and sexual abuse. According to media reports, the arrest warrant was issued on March 14 but its implementation was suspended after Quiboiloy’s camp informed the court of a pending motion for reconsideration filed before the Department of Justice. Five of his co-accused had surrendered and were freed after they posted bail, while the pastor has remained in hiding; although not entirely in silence.