Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday called on her brother’s administration to adopt a more diplomatic approach in dealing with China amid the escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Senator Marcos urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resume negotiations with China and to disregard what she referred to as the United States’ “warmongering.”
“It seems like our administration is taking too much of a war-like footing. Of course, my brother’s temper is flaring up, we’re not talking,” she said.
“The problem here is that we’re being too influenced by the Americans. We know the situation in America right now; they’re really losing,” she added.
She issued the remarks in a radio interview when asked about her brother’s administration’s plan to implement a “countermeasure package” following the recent water cannon assault by China against Philippine vessels in Ayungin Shoal.
Duterte defended
President Marcos on Thursday vowed to take “countermeasures” against “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks” by China Coast Guard and maritime militia in the West Philippine Sea.
Senator Marcos believes that the Philippines should not allow itself to be used as a pawn by the US to advance its self-interest.
“They’re losing in Ukraine and the Middle East. Here in the Pacific, their administration is trying to boast about something that coincides with the election, where their numbers are low in the surveys,” she said, referring to reelectionist US President Joe Biden.“So, for me, let’s not be swayed. We know there’s politics here — there is American politics here. So why would we allow ourselves to be used?” she added. “This is difficult because the Philippines is the one being left as a target. The US is very far from the West Philippine Sea; they are not the ones who will be bombed.”
Senator Marcos also defended the so-called “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Duterte and China, stressing that “it was the practical thing to do.”
“It was exaggerated. Their reactions were OA [overreacting]. This is not the first time that a deal was made, if ever there was,” she said, referring to retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio’s accusation that the former president “gave up” the country’s sovereign rights over Ayungin Shoal when he made such an agreement with China.
“For me, the agreement to allow the Philippines to send food and other necessities to Filipinos there (BRP Sierra Madre) was practical,” she added. She said that she sees nothing wrong with the agreement.
“For me, the agreement [struck] by PRRD was okay. There was no treason, no giving up on sovereign rights. They just agreed to allow the delivery of supplies peacefully,” she said.
“We need to talk to them. When you put the lives of soldiers or officials in danger, you are an irresponsible official. Let us not put the lives of Filipinos in danger,” she added.
Last week, Duterte’s former mouthpiece, Harry Roque, revealed that the former chief executive entered into a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea.
Status quo
“It was publicly stated by Sec. [Alan Peter] Cayetano. It was an agreement to respect the status quo. No further improvements on both sides,” Roque told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a text message.
Roque said the agreement was that the Chinese Coast Guard would not stop delivering food and water to the country’s troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre as long as the supply was limited to such.
The Ayungin Shoal, located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, is where the BRP Sierra Madre — a World War 2 ship turned makeshift Philippine military post — was grounded.
Over the past year, China has persistently claimed that the Philippines promised to tow away the dilapidated warship in Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal.
Former Presidents Joseph “Erap” Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were among the names floated that could be the ones who brokered a deal with China.
However, both of them denied the accusation.
Roque, likewise, reiterated that the deal Duterte entered with China “did not include the removal of the [BRP] Sierra Madre.”
“No such agreement upon by the Duterte administration,” he stressed.
He also said that the agreement was not in writing.
“Not a treaty, hence not binding on President Bongbong Marcos,” he said.
Marcos previously denied that the Philippine government made such a promise to China and asserted that he would rescind any commitment should the two countries agree to remove the vessel.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995.
“The deployment of a Philippine military station in its own areas of jurisdiction is an inherent right of the Philippines and does not violate any laws,” it added.
