Phl-China pact over Ayungin Shoal subject to review, says DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday confirmed that the "provisional agreement" between the Philippines and China on resupplying Filipino troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal is now subject to review just nearly one month after it was reached.

DFA Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro disclosed that the issue concerning RORE (rotation and resupply mission) in the Ayungin Shoal or the Second Thomas Shoal has been the subject of a bilateral discussion between the two nations since January of this year.

But to recall, it was only on 21 July that the DFA confirmed that the Philippines and China agreed to a provisional arrangement on RORE missions.

"The salient points of the provisional arrangement is basically, one, this provisional arrangement is without prejudice to our national position," Lazaro said during the House appropriations panel's budget hearing on DFA.

"Number two, this will be subject to review. The main point here is, there is already an agreement that our Chinese friends have agreed that there is a RORE," she added.

Lazaro, however, refused to divulge the entire details of the pact due to " sensitivities of the arrangement.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo joined Lazaro in justifying the pact, assuring that the same did not put the country's longstanding stance in the hotly contested West Philippines Sea at stake.

"The understanding which is provisional and therefore it can be subject to improvement and particularly concerns the resupply of the Ayungin Shoal," Manalo said. "Secondly, I can say that none of the national positions were affected. In other words, we have maintained the national position of the Philippines.”

The DFA previously announced that both the Philippines and China recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation that later resulted in the formation of the agreement.

However, it clarified that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the SCS.