The camp of former president Joseph Estrada on Monday mentioned he made no promise to take away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal within the West Philippine Sea, opposite to a declare made by a former authorities official.
According to Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, former Palace official Rigoberto Tiglao mentioned that Estrada made the promise in 1999, the identical 12 months the rusting Navy ship was put in on the shoal along with his approval.
In his column within the Manila Times, Tiglao described the dedication as “solely verbal” that however “was mentioned in several documents” and “reflected in confidential official memoranda by DFA officials.”
Tiglao served as Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spokesperson in Malacañang after she succeeded Estrada in 2001, and was later appointed ambassador.
Estrada’s son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, mentioned his father “cannot remember” the problem anymore, however that it might have been “illogical” for him to make the promise.
“I think it is quite illogical, for me, if former president Estrada instructed to station BRP Sierra Madre [at Ayungin Shoal] and at the same time commit that he is going to remove the ship at any time…I do not know where former ambassador Tiglao got that information,” he mentioned.
The youthful Estrada additionally mentioned former senator Orly Mercado “confirmed that there was no agreement or promise to the Chinese government.”
Mercado, who served as Estrada’s protection secretary, earlier acknowledged that no such promise was made by the Estrada administration.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. additionally mentioned he’s not conscious of any such settlement, however that if one exists, he’s now rescinding it.
On August 5, China Coast Guard ships, accompanied by different Chinese militia vessels, carried out “dangerous maneuvers” towards 4 Philippine vessels on their approach to Ayungin Shoal to resupply the servicemen stationed on the Sierra Madre.
TIMELINE: Chinese water cannons, unlawful maneuvers vs. Philippine resupply mission
The Chinese ships bombarded the 2 resupply boats with water, and moved to separate them from their two Philippine Coast Guard escorts. The Chinese ships additionally tried to ram them, crewmen on the Philippine boats mentioned.
In that occasion, solely one of many resupply boats was in a position to full its mission, whereas the opposite one needed to flip again. The two PCG boats, the BRP Capra and the BRP Malabrigo, had been later in a position to full the resupply mission with out incident.
China, nonetheless, continues to press its declare on the shoal, which lies throughout the Philippines’ unique financial zone.
“The Philippines side insisted on transporting construction materials to the grounded vessel for overhaul and re-enforcement with the intent of permanently occupying Ren’ai Reef. The above is the cause of this incident,” mentioned the Chinese Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong on the Pandesal Forum on Monday, utilizing the Chinese identify for the shoal.
In 2016, the Philippines triumphed in a landmark ruling by a global tribunal that invalidated China’s large claims to just about everything of the South China Sea, together with the West Philippine Sea, or the waters throughout the Philippines’ unique financial zone.
China has refused to acknowledge the ruling, and has made repeated incursions into territories within the sea in addition to carried out reclamation actions within the space.
Objecting to what it calls the United States’ “meddling,” China has additionally careworn its desire for bilateral talks with the Philippines on the problem. GMA Integrated News has reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs for remark. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
