MANILA, Philippines- Tiniyak ni Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri na paiimbestigahan ang sinasabing “gentleman’s agreement sa pagitan ng administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at China hinggil sa pananatili ng status quo sa West Philippine Sea.
Sinabi ni Zubiri na taliwas sa lumabas na media reports na kanyang inaantala ang imbestigasyon na posibleng madawit si Duterte kaya ibinigay ang isyu sa Senate committee on foreign relations.
“I already spoke as well to the Majority Floor Leader and we both agree that after your speech we shall now refer to the proper committee I will wait for the Majority Leader to make the proper motion to discuss this particular issue,” ayon kay Zubiri.
“There is no in any way no such thing or any such thing as we were going to delay this particular hearing,” giit pa ni Zubiri.
Ibinigay ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva sa Senate Committee on Foreign Relations saka idinagdag na gustong hatiin ng China ang Filipino na malinaw na nakikita sa lahat ng argumento sa kasunduan.
“This representation believes that in all of these, China is behind all of these propaganda na pag away-awayin po tayong lahat,” giit ni Villanueva.
Pinabulaanan ni Zubiri na kanyang tinabla o hinaharang ang imbestigasyon dahil sa politika bagkus nilinaw nitong ibinabasura niya ang pagbibigay ng political color sa isyu dahil ikinokonsidera dito ang isyu ng soberanya.
“Ang sinasabi ko lang, nanghihinayang po ako dahil nawawala po yung issue dahil sa pamumulitika laban sa isang dating presidente at laban ngayon sa existing or current president. We shall take out that politicial color look at the issues at hand and how we can strengthen number 1, the independence of this institution #2 be able to come out with particular legislation to support the partiocular issues na di po to mangyari ulit,” giit ni Zubiri.
Ipinanawagan din ni Zuiri sa kritko na nagpapainit sa isyu ng partisan color na magkaisa sa pagtatanggol ng soberanya ng Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea.
“Nanghihinayang po ako dahil kung tayo ay bumanat po sa China sinasabi daw nila ay tayo ay anti-Duterte pag tayo naman ay sumasang-ayon sa China, tayo daw ay pro-Duterte we shouldn’t put politics in this particular issue, dahil soberaniya po ang pinaguusapan natin. We are talking about sovereignty. Dapat magkaisa tayong mga Pilipino pagdatings a soberaniya ng West Philippine Sea Yan sana ang gusto nating iparating. Kasi ang sabi ko nga, pag kayo, kung tayo ay sumuporta sa ganitong hearing tayo ay anti-Duterte no, we support the hearing because we support the sovereignty of our republic. It has nothing to do if you are anti-Duterte or pro-Duterte,” aniya.
Sinuportahan naman ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III ang imbestigasyon at kinampihan si Zubiri laban sa naantalang imbestigasyon.
“For the record wala pong di po yun dinelay at wala pong charge or kritisismo na dinedelay galing sa mga kasama mo sa Senado,” ani Pimentel.
Kahit mahigpit na kaalyado ng dating Pangulo, sinabi ni Senador Ronald dela Rosa na nananatili siyang anti-China.
“I just would like to further debunk the wrong notion that you have just earlier cited that is being propagated by some quarters. For the record, I am pro-Duterte but I am anti-China as far as Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea.” giit ni Dela Rosa. “I am good friend of the president, former President Duterte, in fact I cannot become a senator without his help I am indebted to him …when it comes to Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea I am, my heart and soul is anti-China.”
Kinondena din ni Villanueva ang panghihimasok ng China sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas.
“We will be categorical about this, we condemn in the strongest sense, the water canon attacks deployed by the China Coast Guard against our Philippine vessels in the Scarborough Shoal including the recent actions” ayon kay Villanueva.
Pangungunahan ni Senator Imee Marcos, pawang mahigpit na kaalyado ni Duterte, ang imbestigasyon ng Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Naunang naghain ng resolusyon hinggil sa imbestigasyon si Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros upang panagutin ang sinuman sa dating opisyal ng nakaraang administrasyon.
“At higit pa dito, ang mas lalong hindi ko maintindihan: Yung mga nakikipagkasundo sa Beijing bakit di nananagot? Bakit walang parusa para sa kanila? Pati ba yan babalewalain?” Hontiveros said in a privileged speech,” ayon kay Hontiveros.
“If true, these were also agreements that were kept secret… and hidden away from the Filipino people.” Hontiveros said, “These are serious because the first “Gentleman’s Agreement” effectively diminishes our sovereignty by conceding a “no-go” zone for Philippine ships and aircraft inside our own EEZ, as well as the unlawful occupation of Panatag Shoal by a foreign power,” paliwanag pa niya.
“The second risks our tenuous toehold in Ayungin. If we do not repair and reinforce the BRP Sierra Madre, it will fall to wind and wave, and with it our control of Reed Bank – which may hold as much as 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas,” giit ni Hontiveros. Ernie Reyes
