FILE PHOTO: Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros during a public hearing on May 18, 2023. Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 982, which calls for the upper chamber鈥檚 investigation of the 鈥済entleman鈥檚 agreement鈥� that former President Rodrigo Duterte supposedly entered into with China regarding the West Philippine Sea. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Risa Hontiveros moved for the upper chamber鈥檚 investigation of the 鈥済entleman鈥檚 agreement鈥� that former President Rodrigo Duterte supposedly entered into with China regarding the West Philippine Sea.
Hontiveros, in her proposed Senate Resolution No. 982, said that if Duterte鈥檚 deal with China is proven true, the former chief executive鈥檚 action is tantamount to a surrender of the Philippines鈥� sovereignty and hence, 鈥渢reasonous.鈥�
鈥淭his 鈥榞entleman鈥檚 agreement鈥� is treasonous. While China, in any case, will most likely attack our resupply missions en route to Ayungin, this sham of an agreement only gave Beijing more ammunition to assert her baseless claims,鈥� Hontiveros said in a statement Wednesday.
鈥淜ung totoo ang kasunduan, mukhang isinuko nga ni Duterte ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas,鈥� she also said.
(If the agreement is true, Duterte seems to have surrendered the territory of the Philippines.)
READ: Ex-President Duterte,聽China had deal to keep 蜜桃工作室 status quo 鈥� Roque
Hontiveros continued: 鈥淧ati pambansang seguridad natin nalagay sa pahamak dahil sa walang-dangal na 鈥榞entleman鈥檚 agreement鈥� na 鈥榶an.鈥�
(Even our national security has been put in danger because of that dishonorable 鈥済entleman鈥檚 agreement.鈥�)
鈥淐hina is already all around us 鈥� [in] telecoms, national grid, karagatan 鈥� at mas lalo lang pinalakas ni Duterte ang Tsina sa kasunduang 鈥榙i umanong pinasukan niya,鈥澛� she addded.
(China is already all around us 鈥� in telecoms, national grid, oceans 鈥� and Duterte only strengthened China even more with the agreement he allegedly entered into.)
READ: Carpio: Duterte gave up PH right over Ayungin in an agreement w/ China
Former Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque earlier claimed that the ex-president鈥檚 鈥渧erbal agreement鈥� with China indicated that the Philippines may only deliver water and food to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal 鈥� not construction materials for the grounded ship鈥檚 repair.
But Roque鈥檚 expos茅 was denied by former presidential adviser Salvador Panelo, who claimed that Duterte 鈥渄id not enter鈥� any deal with China regarding the West Philippine Sea.
In an interview with SMNI on Monday, Panelo said he talked to Duterte twice during Holy Week and the former chief executive categorically denied having made such a pact with China.
鈥淚鈥檝e been avoiding that Ayungin Shoal like a hot potato because I know it鈥檚 a very hot topic, so I did not make an agreement with anyone,鈥� Panelo said in a mix of English and Filipino, quoting Duterte.
Panelo likewise claimed that whoever is spreading that such an agreement exists is lying, adding that that person probably wants 鈥減ublicity for himself.鈥�
Hontiveros, nevertheless, maintained it is the Filipinos鈥� duty to fortify BRP Sierra Madre.
鈥淲ithout it on Ayungin, we effectively give way for China to illegally occupy what is ours. If we stop reinforcing the Sierra Madre, we not only lose a crucial, strategic outpost, but also fail to defend our sovereignty,鈥� she pointed out.