A LAWMAKER from Mindanao today denounced the continuing lies, false narratives and propaganda from the Chinese government purportedly to ease tension and avoid conflict in the West Philippine Sea, saying those maybe really designed to veer Filipinos’ attention, cover up their intrusions, bullying of Filipino troops and destruction of marine life in the contested region.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said he strongly believes and is in full support to the stand taken by Defense Chief Gilbert Teodoro to stop the “charade” made by a Chinese Embassy official that there exists a “new model” or gentlemen’s agreement meant as “confidence-building measures to avoid conflict in the WPS.”
“The claim made by a Chinese Embassy official, I believe, is an outright and calculated lie and forms part of their propaganda intended or designed to veer away and/or deviate the Filipinos’ attention on their creeping invasion and maybe other evil designs in the Philippines,” he said.
Barbers said a great majority of Filipinos are aware of the influx of Chinese nationals in the Philippines engaged in spying activities working undercover as POGO workers, students, soldier-age retirees, and overstaying tourists supported and heavily-funded by their benefactors from China, money laundering and shabu shipments and other criminal activities.
“China, at first claimed they had verbal “gentlemen’s agreement” with former President Duterte on the Ayungin Shoal in WPS. Now, under the present dispensation, the Chinese Embassy claimed the exists a “new model” of a gentlemen’s agreement confirmed by the AFP Wescom, the DND chief and the National Security Adviser. Secretary Teodoro has debunked all those claims,” the solon from Surigao del Norte said.
The Chinese Embassy said that the supposed “gentlemen’s agreement” or the “new model” was meant to be a confidence-building measure to avoid conflicts and had “nothing to do with each country’s sovereign positions.” Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, however, did not state whether the agreement acknowledged the 2016 Hague ruling that favored the Philippines and invalidated China’s sweeping claims in nearly all of South China Sea.
“China is banking on those fabricated or non-existent verbal agreements to justify their presence, incursions in the WPS, bulling and water-cannoning of our Coast Guard and BFAR ships inside the Philippine territory. China has been lying and the Filipinos should always adopt extreme caution on whatever they say and do on the WPS issue,” he added.
On the real possibility that China may intrude and invade the “unguarded” areas in the country’s Eastern border, Barbers said there is a strong and justifiable need to provide naval troops or conduct military exercises in said seaboard to cover the Pacific Ocean.
“Considering the aggressiveness, intrusions and bullying of Filipino troops in the WPS, China’s complete disregard of our diplomatic protests on the WPS issue, disregard of the UNCLOS decision, adoption of fabricated or false narratives such as gentlemen’s agreement or “new model” purportedly arrived at between PH and China on the WPS, the country should now adopt a pro-active stance on those issues to protect our territorial waters,” he said.
Barbers and his elder brother, Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, earlier announced they welcome any government move to provide and install a PH naval station or and EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) site in the province to further protect and defend the country’s eastern seaboard from drug traffickers, criminal enterprises, and foreign intruders.
