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MANILA, Philippines — The Embassy of China to the Philippines said on Saturday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines — Western Command (AFP WESCOM) and Chinese authorities agreed on a “new model” for the conduct of the two countries in the Ayungin Shoal.
According to an unnamed spokesperson of the embassy, the “new model” was allegedly approved by officials in the Department of National Defense (DND) and the National Security Advisor.
“[T]he Chinese side and the Philippine side through the AFP WESCOM agreed on a ‘new model’ for the management at Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) early this year after multiple rounds of discussion,” the spokesperson said.
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“During the discussion, the AFP WESCOM has made repeated confirmation that the ‘new model’ has been approved by all key officials in the Philippine chain of command, including the Secretary of National Defense and the National Security Advisor,” they added.
‘New invention’
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said in a statement released on April 27 that the DND was not aware of any agreements with China on the issue.
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“The Department of National Defense is not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China on Ayungin Shoal since President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., took office,” Teodoro said in a statement.
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Moreover, the National Security Council has denied claims on the alleged new model and said that it was a “new invention.”
“As Ayungin Shoal is a part of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines, we cannot agree to any such understanding that violates the Philippine constitution or international law,” it added,” the NSC said.
INQUIRER.net has approached the AFP for comment, but it has yet to receive a reply as of this writing.