TWO lawmakers on Tuesday expressed support for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) move to investigate allegations of illegal wiretapping stemming from an unverified recorded phone call between a Chinese embassy official and a Philippine Navy official on an alleged agreement concerning the Ayungin Shoal.
1-RIDER Partylist Rep. Rodge L. Gutierrez and Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores both supported the DFA probe into the alleged wiretapped conversation between a Chinese diplomat and AFP Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos on a “new model” agreement on rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.
“On an official stand, yes we support the move by the DFA. Definitely, they have to do this. If you’ve been following yung issue na ito, very unilateral yung declaration po ng ating Department of National Defense and the National Security Council, todo ang pag-deny to any gentleman’s agreement na sinasabi,” Gutierrez said during the daily press briefing at the House of Representatives.
“Nakikita po natin – ito, personal opinion — nagiging desperado na po ‘yong China. Kasi what kind of a foreign state would try to intervene in our local politics by introducing fake or manipulated information?” he asked.
Gutierrez believes that China cannot secure a formal agreement on resupply missions in Ayungin Shoal, so they invented one.
“To the point that hindi po sila makaka-secure ng formal agreement, they will try to play public perception by using unauthorized, wiretapped conversations, if it’s even real, baka nga po AI ito, we’ve seen it happen,” he said.
“With that, we support fully ‘yong DFA in this investigation and I hope that they would take the appropriate action regarding the Chinese narrative.”
Flores also expressed support for the DFA probe and reiterated what many have said before: that China is a real bully.
“I support the investigation being conducted by the DFA, if they are gonna conduct one because it’s really just China being China, and it’s bullying us, they are not following our laws, our rules. So sa akin they are just being themselves, being bullies as they are,” Flores said.
He went on to criticize some personalities who appear to side with China especially on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.
“It saddens me that some Filipinos, current and ex-officials of the government, are saying a different tune. We should be one in supporting our President, one in supporting our policies and one in protecting our sovereignty over these islands, over these areas,” Flores said.
“So, if they are claiming that there is some form of an agreement, our actions speak differently, we’ve been continuously supplying our troops there, we’ve been continuously patrolling the area, we’ve been continuously conducting drills. So what agreement is there to talk about? There’s no such agreement,” he added.
