Palace reiterates stance on verbal fishing agreement with China

Panelo said the position of the President on the issue has not changed, and that the verbal agreement is actually being enforced now, which is to observe peace in the area so that the Filipinos there can fish (File Photo: Screengrabbed from PCOO)

MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday reiterated its stand on the verbal fishing agreement with China following the remarks of Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

“Ang sinasabi ko kung ano ang sinabi ni Presidente. Kung iba ang interpretasyon ng mga kasama natin (What I’ve been saying is what the President has said. If our colleagues have different interpretation), they are entitled to their own interpretation,” said Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo to Palace reporters in a press briefing.

Panelo said the position of the President on the issue has not changed, and that the verbal agreement is actually being enforced now, which is to observe peace in the area so that the Filipinos there can fish.

“But the position of the President remains the same. It has not changed. That is the position of the President, not my position. I am just echoing the position as a spokesman of the President,” Panelo said.

On Wednesday, Locsin said the supposed verbal fishing deal between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping is not a policy while Nograles said the agreement is the commitment to talk and to “enter into good working conditions”.

Panelo said the line of questioning on whether the government will allow China to fish in the West Philippine Sea was crafted on a wrong premise since the Chinese had already been there and had been claiming the disputed area as their own.

“Ang problema kasi ang tanong na iyon, (The problem is the question) ‘Will you allow Chinese fishermen to fish in the EEZ?’ Ano bang ‘allow’ eh andoon na nga sila, (What ‘allow’ when in fact they are there already), they are there. As far as they are concerned, they own it,” Panelo said.

“Kaya nga kami nag-uusap na lang na pwede bang huwag istorbohin iyong mga [Pilipinong] mangingisda doon (That’s why, we are talking that will you please do not disturb the Filipino fishermen there),” he added.

He maintained that aggressively forcing the application of the provision in Article 12 of the Constitution would only result in a worse situation for the Filipino fishermen.

Panelo said Malacañang nonetheless remains positive that the issue triggered by Recto Bank incident involving Filipino fishing boat and a Chinese vessel will not affect the popularity of the President.

“Alam niyo, sinasabi nga ni Presidente, it doesn’t matter kung popular siya or hindi (You know, what the President has said, it doesn’t matter whether he is popular nor not). What he will do is he will perform his duty under the Constitution as directed to him. His prime duty being the head of the government is to serve and protect the people,” Panelo said.