The Department of National Defense (DND) has categorically denied being a party to any internal agreement with China on Ayungin Shoal since President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. took office. The statement was made by Secretary Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro, Jr., in response to narratives propagated by unnamed or unidentified Chinese officials.
According to Secretary Teodoro, the DND has not had any contact with any Chinese government officials since last year. He dismissed the narratives as a crude attempt to advance a falsehood and a part of the Chinese propaganda effort.
The propaganda, as per Secretary Teodoro, aims to divert the Filipino people’s attention away from the real issue and cause of the tensions in the West Philippine Sea. The real issue, he emphasized, is China’s obstinate refusal to adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which they are a signatory.
Secretary Teodoro affirmed that the Philippines would never enter into any agreement that would compromise its sovereignty and sovereign rights under UNCLOS, as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling.
The statement from the DND comes amid ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, with the Philippines and China locked in territorial disputes over several areas, including Ayungin Shoal. The DND’s stance underscores the Philippines’ commitment to upholding its sovereign rights and international law.