President Marcos Questions Predecessor’s ‘Secret Agreement’ with China
April 13, 2024 - In a recent media interview in Washington D.C., President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his bafflement over a “secret agreement” reached by his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, with China. The Chinese Embassy in Manila confirmed that such an agreement was reached during the Duterte administration over the Ayungin Shoal.
President Marcos posed three critical questions about this undisclosed agreement: Is there such an agreement? What is contained in the secret agreement, and why is it secret?
He also expressed readiness to discuss foreign policy and the agreements related to the South China Sea with the former president. Duterte, who reportedly has documents relating to China, is said to be reviewing all the agreements made during his administration.
President Marcos disagreed with the idea of a secret agreement with China that could potentially compromise the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He emphasized that any agreement with another sovereign state should be transparent to the people, elected officials, and the Senate, which ratifies treaties entered into by the government.
He dismissed Duterte’s criticism on naval patrols in the West Philippine Sea, stating it has “no place in this very important and very precarious discussion.”