While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday rejected suggestions the Philippines had a special “arrangement” with China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an apparent tit-for-tat has emerged over the treatment of nationals of both countries.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Melvin Matibag led a raid on a steel manufacturing facility in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan, Davao City, on Friday that appeared to be part of a string of recent high-profile operations targeting local steel plants with Chinese links.

The operation, conducted with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and other agencies, reportedly uncovered radioactive isotopes in steel products and materials.

The investigation into Davao Mighty Steel Corporation and other facilities followed similar parameters regarding hazardous materials, illegal foreign labor, and substandard production.

The operation included a raid at the Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corporation in Misamis Oriental, which led to the arrest of 69 Chinese nationals for major immigration, labor and safety violations.

In the meantime, over 100 Filipinos were, in turn, deported from China.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said the agency is coordinating closely with the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and diplomats across China to confirm the exact number and status of those apprehended.

Deal or no deal

Marcos denied the existence of an agreement over Ayungin Shoal where the beached BRP Sierra Madre is located. Beijing said the deal requires Manila to seek its permission for activities in the WPS.

Marcos clarified the renewed questions over the provisional understanding between Manila and Beijing governing rotation and resupply missions to the Sierra Madre at Ayungin l.

“I hesitate to use the word arrangement because we’re not going into any arrangement with everyone,” Marcos said during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) presidential luncheon in Manila.

He said Philippine vessels follow standard procedures, such as issuing notices of their movements during resupply missions and patrols.

He stressed the procedure does not weaken the country’s sovereign rights, territorial claims, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or the 2016 arbitral ruling.

“There is no special arrangement that we somehow, the implication is that we have to ask for permission or that we have to give up some of our rights. That’s not the case at all,” Marcos said.

Yet the DFA has repeatedly confirmed the existence of an arrangement on the record.

In late July, the DFA acknowledged there was a “provisional understanding” (PU) with China governing routine rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to Ayungin Shoal, but drew a sharp distinction between it and a “provisional agreement,” a term Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan had used, which the DFA rejected.

The DFA said the PU was agreed upon the express understanding that it does not prejudice the national position, and specifically stated that it is not a grant of, or a request for, permission to any foreign government, and does not recognize any foreign jurisdiction over Philippine waters.

“Nothing of that has been weakened in any way, shape, or form,” Marcos said.

Marcos’ remarks came days after retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio challenged the administration to disclose the PU reached with China in July 2024, following a series of confrontations during resupply missions to Ayungin.

Carpio told DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk that requiring prior notice, consultation, and on-site verification before the conduct of Philippine resupply missions diminished the country’s sovereign rights.

“They’re not showing us this agreement. They said it’s just a statement of principles. But they have to show us what the statement of principles is,” Carpio said.

He urged the government to terminate the understanding, warning that China could eventually invoke Philippine acquiescence to argue that Manila had voluntarily waived its rights recognized under the 2016 arbitral ruling.

The DFA has defended the understanding, saying it does not require the Philippines to seek China’s permission or allow inspections of Philippine vessels. The DFA said it has resulted in 15 incident-free resupply missions since July 2024.

‘Reset’ with China

Marcos also explained his call for a “reset” in the relations with Beijing, saying the objective is to bring down tensions when these begin to escalate.

“If we are beginning to detect or to feel an increase in tensions or an escalation in tensions, then we have to go back once again and talk to our friends in China and say, look, this is not headed in the right direction,” Marcos said.

He said both sides should find ways to bring the tensions to the “lowest level” and prevent mistakes and misunderstandings at sea.

The President stressed that de-escalation does not mean abandoning Philippine claims.

‘No attacks’ from Phl

Marcos also ruled out allowing Philippine territory to be used to launch attacks against China when asked what Manila would do should Beijing invade Taiwan.

“No, there will be no attacks on anyone from the Philippines. The Philippines has no desire to be a belligerent nation in the region. We have no interest in that,” Marcos said.

“All we are concerned about is the defense of our territory and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region,” he added.

Marcos said allowing attacks to be launched from Philippine territory would be contrary to that policy.

“To allow an attack on anyone from the Philippines is contrary to that policy,” he said.

Plain extortion

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has accused Beijing of “plain and simple extortion and blackmail,” saying the wave of arrests of Filipino migrants may be a retaliation for Philippine law enforcement operations against Chinese nationals.

The Department of National Defense said those operations were conducted based on search warrants issued by the proper courts and involved individuals allegedly serving as principals of illegal enterprises.

The DND also rejected China’s focus on the suspects’ work visas and passports, saying it fails to address the illegal activities under investigation.

Reports that China had threatened further action against Filipino workers in connection with the Philippine arrest of Chinese nationals make the matter even more serious.