MANILA, Philippines – “Absolutely absurd, ludicrous, and preposterous” kung ilarawan ni National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año ang sinabi ng Chinese Embassy na may “new model” na arrangement sa Pilipinas para pangasiwaan ang situwasyon sa Ayungin Shoal.
Sa isang kalatas, binigyang-diin ni Año na hindi kailanman nagbigay ng kapangyarihan o pahintulot ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., sa kahit na kaninuman sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas para pumasok o mangako ng kahit na anumang kasunduan, unawaan o arrangement – lalo na pagdating sa “informal ones.”
“After the courtesy call of the Chinese Ambassador to my office early last year, I have not talked to any official from the Chinese Embassy directly or indirectly on any matter, much more to discuss any arrangement or deal with regards to our rightful and routinary resupply operations in Ayungin Shoal,” ayon kay Año.
Bukod dito, hindi kailanman pinansin ng Pangulo ang anumang panukala lalo na kung ang usapin ay bumabatay sa “illegal, debunked, at fabricated 9 o 10 dash line.”
“The Chinese Embassy should be reminded that they can never deceive the Filipino people with their fabricated stories, bluffs, and fake exchanges of communication just to support their illegal claim of Philippine territory, as well as to justify their illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions, particularly the use of military-grade lasers, water cannons, dangerous blocking maneuvers, and ramming of our vessels which has caused wounded casualties on our side,” ang sinabi ni Año.
Nauna rito, sinabi ng Chinese Embassy na umano’y gumawa ng kasunduan ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command sa Tsina na tinatawag na “new model” na dapat sana’y inaprubahan ng gobyerno ng Pilpinas.
Samantala, umano sinabi ni Año na ang Chinese Embassy ay lumikha ng media chat group para manipulahin ang impormasyon.
Sa naturang “chat groups,” sa halip na ang mga mamamahayag ang magbato ng tanong, ang embassy ang siyang nag po-post ng ‘leading questions’ na kanilang sasagutin, pinapayagan ang mga ito na i-broadcast ang kanilang ‘damaging narratives at manufactured stories.’
“Moreover, the timing of this story is clearly meant to distract from the bigger story of the piling of dead coral rubble in Pag-Asa Cays 1, 2, 3, which is meant to create a high-tide, man-made geologic feature between Pagasa Island and Subi reef in an attempt to reverse the findings of the 2016 Arbitral Award,” ang pahayag ni Año.
Sinabi pa niya na ang buong “arrangement story” ay fake news at disinformation.
Itinanggi naman ni National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. na sangkot ang DND sa anumang kasunduan sa Tsina.
“I would like to clearly state that any insinuation that the Department of National Defense is a party to any ‘new model’ is a devious machination of China through their Embassy in Manila, and, curiously, it comes right after their actions were condemned in the recent SQUAD meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii,” ayon kay Año.
Samantala, winika ni Teodoro ang “new model” ay malinaw na pagtatangka ng Tsina para isulong ang panibagong ‘falsehood” na naglalayong “to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions” sa exclusive economic zone (EEZ) ng Pilipinas. Kris Jose
