President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is escorted by Armed Forces Chief General Eduardo Año upon his arrival at Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City after his successful engagement in Cambodia, Hongkong, and the Republic of China. Malacañang Photo

Joyce Balancio

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171222807047520170516-duterte-arrival-MNIB-4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Former President Rodrigo Duterte and former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Eduardo Año. <span data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline !important;--darkreader-inline-color:#c8c3bc;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#181a1b">Malacañang Photo/File</div>MANILA — Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief and now National Security Adviser Eduardo Año denied on Thursday that there was a &quot;gentleman&#x27;s agreement&quot; between former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping with regard to the West Philippine Sea.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/3/senate-probe-sought-into-treasonous-duterte-china-gentleman-s-agreement-1046">READ: Senate probe sought into &#x27;treasonous&#x27; Duterte-China &#x27;gentleman&#x27;s agreement&#x27;</a></div>Año served as AFP chief in 2016 to 2017 during Duterte&#x27;s term and after his retirement, he was appointed in the Cabinet as Secretary of Interior and Local Government until the end of the Duterte administration.&quot;Wala, walang ganyan,&quot; Año told reporters in an ambush interview at Malacanan.&quot;The Chinese have always talked about the gentleman’s agreement pero they cannot show anything na mayroon talaga, even a document, or even identify somebody that said that,&quot; he said.Duterte&#x27;s former spokesperson Harry Roque earlier claimed that Duterte and Xi had a &quot;gentleman&#x27;s agreement&quot; to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal, where the country&#x27;s military outpost in the West Philippine Sea, the BRP Sierra Madre, is located.NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya told ANC earlier that there was no proof to back Roque&#x27;s claims.Even if such a deal did exist, he said the Marcos administration already rescinded it.In the meantime, Año said the government will continue to fight for the country&#x27;s rights amid ongoing dispute with China.&quot;We will make sure we are protecting our maritime agreement and ensuring our maritime rights in our EEZ,&quot; he said.

Año said the government will continue to fight for the country's rights amid ongoing dispute with China.

Año said the government will continue to fight for the country's rights amid ongoing dispute with China.

Duterte's ex-AFP chief denies 'gentleman's agreement' with Xi | ABS-CBN

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Duterte's ex-AFP chief denies 'gentleman's agreement' with Xi

Duterte's ex-AFP chief denies 'gentleman's agreement' with Xi

Joyce Balancio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 04, 2024 07:22 PM PHT

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