By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

CHINA has repeatedly informed the Marcos government about the so-called gentleman’s agreement that barred the delivery of construction materials and repairs to a Philippine outpost at Second Thomas Shoal, its embassy in Manila said, adding that the deal was no secret.

“In the beginning of this current Philippine administration, the said agreement was still being followed in handling the resupply mission at Ren’ai Jiao (Second Thomas Shoal),” it said in a statement.

“But since February 2023, the Philippine side has ceased to abide by the agreement, categorically denied its existence and kept stirring up trouble to provoke incidents.”

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not immediately reply to a WhatsApp message seeking comment.

The Chinese Embassy said the Philippines and China had agreed to a “new model” in managing the situation at Second Thomas Shoal during negotiations earlier this year.

“Regrettably, only one round of the resupply missions was carried out within the realm of these understandings and arrangements before they were unilaterally abandoned by the Philippine side for no good reason,” it added.

The embassy noted that in September, Beijing invited Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s special envoy to China, to discuss ways to manage the dispute on Second Thomas Shoal.

The discussions resulted in an “internal understanding” of how to handle the situation, it added.

Mr. Marcos earlier said he was “horrified” by the thought that his predecessor Rodrigo R. Duterte might have compromised Philippine sovereignty by agreeing to keep the status quo at the shoal.

Tensions between the two neighbors have worsened in the past year as China’s coast guard continues to block resupply missions to the shoal, where the Philippines grounded a World War II-era ship in 1999 to assert its sovereignty.

Mr. Marcos said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and former officials should clarify the details of the deal to his government.

Former presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque earlier said the Philippines had agreed with China to keep the status quo, which meant only basic supplies would be delivered to a handful of Filipino soldiers at BRP Sierra Madre.

But Mr. Duterte’s legal counsel Salvador B. Panelo said his former boss had not entered into any deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“China once again urges the Philippines to honor its commitments and consensus with China, show sincerity, stop provocations, return to the right track of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible,” the Chinese Embassy said.

The Philippines should work with China in managing the situation at the shoal “and safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

‘AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR’
Meanwhile, the DFA urged China to reflect on its “aggressive” actions in the South China Sea, adding that the Philippine decision to boost ties with Japan and the US at a recent summit was a “sovereign choice” for the country.

China earlier issued remarks criticizing the trilateral meeting.

“The source of tension in our region is well known to all,” the DFA said in a statement. “It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions.”

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Mr. Marcos met with US President Joseph R. Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations’ first trilateral summit in Washington last week.

The leaders committed to boost ties in maritime security amid China’s growing assertiveness in the waterway.

Mr. Marcos on Monday told foreign journalists the three-way summit was not directed at anyone and only seeks to boost relations among the three nations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday told a news briefing Beijing opposed the bloc politics of the three nations, saying it could worsen tensions in the waterway.

She said the US was clinging to the “Cold War mentality” of threatening other countries by forming alliances with other nations.

The DFA said Philippine ties with US and Japan align with international law.

The Chinese ministry’s references to the Cold War “sensationalizes” the situation in the South China Sea and “misrepresents the peaceful purpose of the trilateral cooperation,” it added.

“Nevertheless, those who wish to invoke the lessons of the past should also recall the need for adherence to the rule of law and how peace and stability has been maintained in our region through the observance and respect for international law,” the DFA said.

A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 said China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea has no legal basis, but Beijing has largely ignored the ruling and continued its island-building activities.

Mr. Marcos on Monday said his government is considering including Japan in its annual military exercises with the US.

Manila and Washington are set to hold their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises on April 22 to May 18, with 5,000 Filipino soldiers and 11,000 American servicemen expected to participate.

For the first time, it will be held beyond the Philippines’ 12-nautical mile territorial waters.

“The trilateral initiative is another platform to further promote regional peace and security,” the DFA said. “It is only reasonable and responsible that the participants discuss regional security issues of mutual concern, challenges to the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes.”

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. Made it to Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people this year due to his efforts to oppose Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

“Bongbong’s desire to rehabilitate the Marcos name has resulted in other shifts,” according to Time. “He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post —pandemic economy and elevated the Philippines on the world stage.”

Time said Bongbong’s rise to the Philippine presidency in 2022 stemmed from efforts to whitewash his family legacy “through clever manipulation of social media.”

His dictator father plundered billions of dollars from state coffers and stood accused of grievous human rights violations until his ouster in 1986, it said.

“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US,” Time said. “Many problems persist, including extra-judicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too.”

TIME’s 100 most influential list, first published in 1999, included artists, icons, titans, leaders, innovators and pioneers.

Taiwan President-elect William Lai Ching-te and Argentine President Javier Gerardo Milei were also on the list.

The Marcoses have been accused of living lavishly in the Philippine presidential palace while Filipinos suffered from a collapsing economy.

More than 70,000 were jailed, about 34,000 were tortured and more than 3,000 people died during the martial rule of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr., according to Amnesty International.

A popular street uprising toppled the Marcos regime in February 1986 and sent him and his family into exile in the United States.

The elder Marcos accumulated ill-gotten wealth of as much as $10 billion (P572 billion), according to government estimates, earning him a Guiness World Record for the “greatest robbery of a government.”

“Despite geopolitical tensions and hurdles posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus-2019) pandemic, President Marcos has elevated the Philippines on the world state and contributed to regional stability, notably in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement. 

Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the President’s positive image stems from his foreign policy shift toward the US, Japan and Australia.

“This is perceived as a complete departure from his predecessor’s excessive dalliance with Chinese interest that weakened the position of the Philippines regarding the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat, referring to Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“Marcos gets approval and praises for this foreign policy shift for it also favors or benefits the political interests of other players in the region like the US, Japan and Australia,” he added.

Maria Ela L. Atienza, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines, said the Mr. Duterte had set the bar too low when it came to the Philippines’ standing in international community.

“For foreign governments and media, President Marcos’ intent to increase Philippine presence again in the global community hopefully to boost foreign investments is a breath of fresh air,” she said in a Viber message.

The Philippine leader last week met with US President Joseph R. Biden and Japanese Prime Fumio Kishida in the nations’ first three-way summit to boost ties in trade, energy and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Mr. Marcos on Tuesday vowed to bring down drug syndicates and the illegal drug trade without shedding blood.

Law enforcers on Monday seized a record P13.3-billion ($234 million) haul of crystal meth or shabu in Batangas province south of the capital.

“This is the biggest shipment of shabu that we caught, but not one person died,” Mr. Marcos said, in a subtle criticism of his predecessor’s deadly drug war.

“Like it or not, Marcos Jr.’s position in the driver’s seat means he is a functional linchpin of any geopolitical alliance that seeks hegemony within the Asia-Pacific region,” Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in Facebook Messenger chat.

“Much of Mr. Marcos’ good press is really mostly his return to the pre-Duterte status quo of Philippine international relations.”