‘Only BBM can approve WPS deals’

Only the President of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements relating to the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

The DFA’s pronouncement came after the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed the Philippines’ defense secretary and national security adviser had agreed to a “new model” for managing the tension at Ayungin Shoal in the WPS.

Both officials flatly denied China’s claim.

“The DFA can confirm that no Cabinet-level official of the Marcos administration has agreed to any Chinese proposal pertaining to Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said in a statement.

“As far as the Philippine government is concerned, no such document, record or deal exists, as purported by the Chinese Embassy,” the department added.

In Laoag City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also dismissed the embassy’s claim that its Western Command had agreed to the deal.

“The AFP denies the claim made by the Embassy of China in Manila that the AFP Western Command has agreed to a new model for conduct in Ayungin Shoal,” military spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a press briefing.

Padilla stressed the AFP remains a professional organization that “operates within the framework of the Philippine government and in accordance with national policies.”

“Any agreements or arrangements with other nations require the involvement and approval of the appropriate government agencies and officials, such as the Department of National Defense and the National Security Adviser,” she said.

Padilla said the AFP had expected that China would go this far to support its claim to the WPS.

“It’s actually not surprising. These are all, as I said, once we do our operations, these are all risk planning and included in the scenario based on whatever it is we have to react to, and even with the Balikatan exercise, these are all included, any type of scenario that we can react to,” she said.