Marcos: Duterte admin should explain, be accountable for sea deal with China

Then President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with his future successor Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a meeting at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Sept. 16, 2020. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File 

WASHINGTON — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday urged former President Rodrigo Duterte to explain to the public details of the “secret deal” that was forged with China during the previous administration, underscoring that officials should be “accountable” for their decisions.

Marcos Jr. gave the statement after the Chinese Embassy in Manila confirmed that Duterte had agreed to regulate Philippine activities in the West Philippine Sea.

“Hindi namin maintindihan, very experienced lawyer si President Duterte… Bakit walang nakasulat sa papel? Bakit walang video? Bakit hindi nila sinabi sa amin na mayroong usapan?” the President told reporters.

“Why is it secret? Don’t tell me it was just an oversight na hindi nasulat. Deliberate yung hindi sinulat. It was decided in the last administration that we will not record this… we will not announce it to the Filipino people, therefore it is a secret agreement,” he said.

(We cannot understand it, President Duterte is a very experienced lawyer. Why was it not written down? Why was there no video? Why did they not inform us that there was such a deal? You cannot tell me that it was not written down due to oversight. It was deliberate.)

“I disagree with that idea that you enter into a secret agreement. You have any agreement with another sovereign state should really be known by the people so that way you’re accountable. If it’s a bad decision, you’re accountable.”

Marcos Jr. urged journalists to go after officials who served in the previous administration, saying that he could “not get straight answers” from those he spoke with.

“Mayroon talaga silang secret na patagong usapan. Malinaw sa akin na may usapan sila na tinago sa taong bayan,” Marcos Jr. said.

“We need to know: what did you agree to? What did you compromise? Ano yung pinamigay ninyo?” he asked.

(There really was a secret dialogue. It’s clear to me that they hid something from the people… What did you give away?)

Duterte on Thursday admitted that he had agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping to  maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea.

He said the deal involved not bringing construction materials for the repair and upkeep of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

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Duterte added that Marcos should ask National Security Adviser Eduardo Año about the deal because he knew about it as interior secretary of the previous administration. 

But Marcos said Año was not privy to the details of the supposed agreement with China.

“Hindi siya kasama sa usapan (he was not part of the talks). He was a part of the Cabinet but he was not part of the discussion,” the President said.

“He had some vague knowledge that we were talking to China, but we are always talking to China because we are trying to minimize tensions in West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Duterte said that despite the verbal agreement, "We have not conceded anything to China."

"There might have been exchange of control over the China sea, pero those were really territorial in nature, not involving the encroachment of China in an exclusive economic zone. Iba yon….Nobody but nobody in the Philippines today, either the Supreme Court, the presidency or Congress can concede anything about territories. Hindi gawain ng presidente yan,” he said.

But Marcos said, “We need to clarify the situation because nalalagay ang Pilipinas sa alanganin.” 

“Paano mo gagawin ang tama kung hindi mo alam na mayroong palang secret deal sa tabi? Ano yung tinatago niyo, bakit hindi niyo sinabi?” he said.

(We need to clarify the situation because the Philippines was compromised. How can you do what is right when there is a secret deal on the side? What did you hide, why did you not divulge it?)

Marcos Jr. earlier said he would rescind any deal on the West Philippine Sea forged between the previous administration and China.

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