PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the former President Rodrigo Duterte had a “secret agreement” with China over the Ayungin Shoal.

Marcos said this was confirmed to him by the Chinese Embassy.

Marcos said he is baffled by the “secret agreement.”

Marcos said he has three questions regarding the gentleman’s agreement or secret agreement: Is there such an agreement? What is contained in the secret agreement, and why is it secret?

“So, now, with the confirmation of the Chinese Embassy. We now know that there was a secret agreement. Now, this is, the second question that I have, is what is contained in the second agreement?” Marcos said in a media interview in Washington.

“Ano ba ang pinangako ng Duterte administration sa China? Dahil hindi pa natin alam eh kung – ngayon lang pa lang natin talaga – ngayon lang tayo nakakatiyak na mayroon talagang, mayroon pala talagang agreement. Tawag nila is gentleman’s agreement, tawag ko diyan, secret agreement,” Marcos added.

President Marcos expressed wonder why the former president, being a very experienced lawyer, decided not to document, record, or announce the agreement.

Nevertheless, President Marcos said he is ready to sit down with the former president to discuss foreign policy and the agreements entered into by the government in connection with the South China Sea.

“Send them to me and then we’ll sit down. Send those documents to me. And then I’ll sit down and discuss it. I’ll do my homework for him. Just the way I work. I read all the materials first so when I’m in the conference, I can ask intelligent questions,” Marcos added.

“So send me the materials, personally to me. ‘Wag na sa DOJ, sa DFA, sa akin. Padala n’ya sakin. Marami kaming common na kaibigan. Send them to me. Pag-aralan ko. Mag-usap kami kung gusto n’ya,” Marcos said.

President Marcos also brushed off Duterte’s criticism on naval patrols in the West Philippine Sea, saying it has “no place in this very important and very precarious discussion.”

“I don’t pay any attention to that,” he said. With PCO

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