House insists on investigating China's secret pact on Ayungin

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will push through with its probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte's secret deal with China that supposedly gave up Philippine sovereignty over a part of the West Philippine Sea, with lawmakers saying that even mere allegations of the agreement have diplomatic repercussions.

In a press conference on Tuesday, House lawmakers said that the committee investigation will focus on the alleged pact's implications on the country's foreign policy, instead of its political aspect, even as no documentary evidence of the deal has turned up.

Prior to this, the Chinese Embassy in Manila last week said that it had clinched "temporary special arrangements" with Duterte in 2016 that supposedly barred Philipppine government vessels and aircraft from entering within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal. The agreement also made the rich fishing grounds surrounding the shoal off-limits to Filipino fishermen. 

The Chinese embassy bared this alleged secret deal after another round of water cannon attacks by Chinese Coast Guard vessels at the Panatag Shoal on April 30.

Rep. Jefferson Khongun (Zambales, 1st District) said that the lower chamber needs to get to the bottom of the alleged "gentleman's agreement" that allowed Chinese vessels to intrude upon Philippine waters as this is "being used to water cannon our ships and the Philippine Coast Guard." 

"We also want to know if we lost a part of our territory," Khongun said, adding that BRP Sierra Madre, which is marooned on Ayungin Shoal, is part of Philippine territory.

"It is better to investigate this so we can find out the truth. We also give importance to words as these have value. While the gentleman's agreement is not binding, this has diplomatic repurcussions," Khongun added. 

The lawmaker, who filed a House resolution urging a probe on the secret deal, added that Duterte executives who have been implicated in the alleged agreement have been silent. 

"The president is saying that he has been asking officials of the previous administration about the deal," Khongun said. "Lahat sila tikom ang bibig (They are all refusing to talk)."

Similarly, Rep. Margarita Nograles (PBA Party-list) said that the Rep. Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist) said that widespread speculation online about the contents of the unconfirmed agreement is "because we haven't had a conversation backed by facts." 

"In any agreement or contract, it's one thing to agree on something, its another to act on it... We need clarification on what was really talked about," Nograles said in Filipino.

The House panel probe does not aim to "muddle" the issue of Chinese intrusion in the West Philippine Sea, said  Rep. Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist). 

Echoing the Department of National Defense, Gutierrez said that "anyone who repeats the narrative that there was a gentleman's agreement" is a "mouthpiece for China."

"And this is what we should avoid. In order to avoid the repetition of  this narrative, we need to inform the people that this ... is farce. If ever there was any of  the sort, it has no binding power," Gutierrez added. 

Jonathan Malaya, National Security Council (NSC) assistant director general, said in an interview with ANC on Thursday that China's claims of having an agreement with the Philippines should not be investigated as this would play into China's narrative "that clearly seeks to sow division and weaken our resolve."