Teodoro denies 'internal agreement' on Ayungin with China

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday denied having a hand in any internal agreement with the Chinese government about Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

"The Department of National Defense is not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China on Ayungin Shoal since President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. took office," Teodoro said. 

"As a matter of fact, the Department of National Defense has not had any contact with any Chinese government officials since last year," he maintained. 

Teodoro slammed China for confusing the public to justify its vast claims over the South China Sea, which does not observe the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"The narrative that unnamed or unidentified Chinese officials are propagating is another crude attempt to advance a falsehood," he said. 

Teodoro was referring to a Chinese diplomat's remarks, saying senior Philippine security officials approved two arrangements with Beijing, including the "internal understanding" and a "new model" for addressing the Ayungin shoal territorial disputes. 

The Chinese envoy noted that the two arrangements are "completely different" from the previous "gentleman's agreement" between former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

The foreign diplomat mentioned that the Marcos administration came up with a "new model" agreed with Chinese authorities, for de-escalating the tensions in the Ayungin Shoal. 

Teodoro strongly refutes the Chinese diplomat's claims. 

"This is all a part of the Chinese propaganda effort to steer the Filipino people's attention away from the real issue and cause of the tensions in the West Philippine Sea, which is China's obstinate refusal to adhere to UNCLOS, which they are a signatory to," the defense chief said.

Teodoro said, "We will never enter into any agreement that will compromise our sovereignty and sovereign rights under the UNCLOS, as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling."