President Marcos Rescinds Secret Agreement Between the Philippines and China
April 16, 2024 - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has rescinded a secret agreement that was allegedly forged between the Philippines and China during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The President made this announcement during an interview at the 50th anniversary of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) on Monday. He revealed that the supposed agreement was brought to his attention last year, and he did not hesitate to rescind it.
“When this first came up a few months ago, and it turns out the Chinese are insisting that there is a secret agreement and perhaps there is, and I said I didn’t, I don’t know anything about the secret agreement, should there be such a secret agreement, I am now rescinding it,” President Marcos said.
The President also expressed his intention to hold Duterte accountable for the supposed agreement. However, he emphasized that the government first needs to find out what the agreement was about. Despite having talked to some former officials about it, he noted that he has not gotten “a straight answer out of anyone.”
President Marcos expressed his frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the content of the secret agreement and why it was kept a secret from the Filipino people. He, however, does not see it as a liability against Duterte as of now because he has yet to see the actual agreement.
“I cannot see how that could possibly be a legal liability. There is no evidence of any agreement,” the chief executive stressed. The President said that he would love to see the document.