MANILA, Philippines — Only the country’s president can authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.
The DFA said this as it maintained no Cabinet-level official of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration agreed to any “model” on handling Ayungin Shoal as claimed by China.
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“The DFA wishes to emphasize that only the President of the Republic of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea,” said DFA in a statement on Tuesday.
“As far as the Philippine government is concerned, no such document, record or deal exists, as purported by the Chinese Embassy,” it added.
Last Sunday, May 5, the DFA stated that it was not aware of any new model arrangement being referred to by the Chinese Embassy regarding the Ayungin Shoal.
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Instead, the department urged China to “desist from disseminating such disinformation or insinuations against Philippine officials.”
China claimed that the said “new model” was approved by National Defense officials and the National Security Advisor.
READ: China, PH agreed on ‘new model’ for management at Ayungin — Chinese spox
This, however, has been denied by Defense chief Gilbert Teodoro as well as the National Security Council, who dubbed the issue as China’s mere “invention.”