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'This charade must stop,' DND tells China on claims of agreement on Ayungin

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1714882213266AYUNGIN.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard shows a China Coast Guard vessel using a water cannon on a civilian boat contracted for a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday denied an alleged &quot;new model&quot; that China claims it reached with the Philippines to ease tensions in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>The Philippines has had a military outpost on Ayungin Shoal, the BRP Sierra Madre, since 1999 to assert its stake in the area, and it regularly launches missions to send supplies for its troops there. </p><p>During many of the resupply missions, China&#x27;s ships intercept and conduct dangerous moves against Philippine vessels, usually with the use of water cannons. Similar missions to Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough Shoal) have been met with the same tactics.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4G2B6H2f_O8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span id="isPasted">An unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday </span><a href="http://cebu.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/zytz/202405/t20240504_11292868.htm"></a><span id="isPasted"><a href="http://cebu.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/zytz/202405/t20240504_11292868.htm">claimed in a statement</a> </span><span id="isPasted">that Beijing and Manila, through the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command, allegedly agreed on the supposed new model &quot;early this year&quot; to diffuse tensions in Ayungin Shoal.</span></div><div><span id="isPasted">The agreement, according to the statement, was &quot;approved by all key officials in the Philippine chain of command, including the Secretary of National Defense and the National Security Advisor.&quot;</span></div><div><span id="isPasted"><strong>TEODORO: NO DND CONTACT WITH CHINESE EMBASSY SINCE LAST JULY</strong></span><strong><br/></strong></div><div><span id="isPasted"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in a statement </span><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">called </span><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">the alleged &quot;new model&quot; a &quot;devious machination of China,&quot; telling Beijing, &quot;This charade must stop.&quot;</span></span></div><p>&quot;I reiterate that I have disallowed any contact between the DND and the Chinese Embassy since the courtesy call of Ambassador Huang Xilian, a few days after I assumed office in July of last year,&quot; Teodoro said.</p><p>&quot;During the said courtesy call, there was no discussion or briefing on any &#x27;gentleman&#x27;s agreement&#x27; or &#x27;new model,&#x27; which is contrary to the Chinese Embassy&#x27;s pronouncements,&quot; he said.</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Teodoro noted that the Chinese Embassy&#x27;s statement came after </span><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/30/china-fires-water-cannon-at-philippine-vessel-1041"></a><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/30/china-fires-water-cannon-at-philippine-vessel-1041">latest Chinese aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea </a></span><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);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:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">were condemned by the recent SQUAD meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.</span></div><div><span id="isPasted"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/4/ph-us-japan-australia-slam-china-over-destabilizing-conduct-in-south-china-sea-1212" id="isPasted">READ: PH, US, Japan, Australia slam China over &#x27;destabilizing conduct&#x27; in South China Sea</a></span></div><p>&quot;I am issuing this statement to generate awareness on this clear attempt by China to advance another falsehood in order to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone),&quot; Teodoro said.</p><p>&quot;We advise our citizens, the media, and the international community to beware of China&#x27;s methods of manipulation, interference, and malign influence in furthering its own interests,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>&#x27;ABSURD, LUDICROUS, PREPOSTEROUS&#x27;</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año said the Chinese Embassy&#x27;s claims of a &quot;new model&quot; were &quot;absolutely absurd, ludicrous, and preposterous.&quot;</p><p>&quot;No one in the Philippine government is, nor have been, empowered nor authorized to enter into or commit to any sort of agreement, understanding, or arrangement - more so informal ones, by our President,&quot; Año said in a statement. </p><p>&quot;The Chinese Embassy needs to be reminded that you can never deceive the Filipino people with your fabricated stories, bluffs, and fake exchanges of communication just to support your illegal claim of Philippine territory as well as to justify your illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions particularly the use of military-grade lasers, water cannons, dangerous blocking maneuvers, and ramming of our vessels which has caused wounded casualties on our side,&quot; he added.</p><p>Año also questioned the timing of China&#x27;s statement, which came after it was revealed that the cays of the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea are now in &quot;degraded states&quot; due to apparent island-building activities.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/4/pag-asa-cays-in-degraded-state-over-new-island-building-activities-study-1431">READ: Pag-asa cays in ‘degraded state’ over new island-building activities: study</a></div><p>&quot;This is the bigger story that they want to dislodge from the headlines and deflect attention from. It has truly reached a new low of pathetic desperation,&quot; said Año.</p><p>&quot;Given that this entire &#x27;arrangement story&#x27; is clearly fake news and disinformation, this will be the last time I will ever comment on this issue,&quot; he added.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E6MlNUZH9V8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Department of National Defense on Sunday denied an alleged "new model" agreed upon by China and the Philippines to ease tensions in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.</p>

The Department of National Defense on Sunday denied an alleged "new model" agreed upon by China and the Philippines to ease tensions in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.