The House of Representatives’ joint committee has invited former defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to appear in the next hearing to shed light on the so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The House committee on national defense and security chairman Iloilo Rep. Raul Tupas confirmed that the invitation to Gazmin had already been forwarded by the Committee on National Defense and Security and Special Committee on the West Philippine Sea chaired by Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II.
Gazmin was the defense secretary during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III, and Roque, the former spokesperson of Duterte.
“Our joint committee has issued an invitation, signed by the Chairman of the West Philippine Sea and us as acting Chairman. I am representing Cong. Oca Malapitan because he is still out of the country. An invitation has been issued in our next hearing for former presidential spokesperson, Atty. Roque, as well as the former secretary of defense,” Tupas disclosed.
He said the joint panel still has to request permission from the House leadership so they could conduct the next hearing as Congress is on sine die adjournment.
“We still have yet to request permission from the leadership because we are on break, if it is possible during the period of adjournment or maybe we can just come back when the session resumes,” Tupas said.
During the second hearing of the joint panel last Tuesday, Duterte’s former executive secretary, lawyer Salvador Medialdea, revealed that the status quo at the Ayungin Shoal, where the dilapidated warship BRP Sierra Madre was grounded since 1999, was part of a 2013 commitment of Gazmin to Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing that only food and water will be delivered to the marines stationed at the vessel.
Roque was quoted as claiming that Duterte had a verbal agreement with China not to construct and repair Philippine facilities in the WPS, as well as bring construction materials for BRP Sierra Madre.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea and newly-appointed Naval Inspector General (TNIG), Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said on May 24 at the Philippine Navy’s 126th anniversary celebration, that there was no reason to investigate Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos who was linked to a wiretapped call with the defense attaché of Beijing in Manila.
China, in early May, threatened to leak the audio recording and transcript of the conversation, which is claimed was proof that the Philippines agreed with China to the so called terms in order to bring down tensions in the WPS, particularly Ayungin Shoal.
The Chinese consulate in Manila eventually released a portion of the supposed transcript of the alleged conversation to two Philippine print publications and allowed reporters to listen to part of the supposed recording.
While Carlos confirmed to the Senate that Colonel Li of the Chinese embassy called him in January 2024, he did not speak in detail about their conversation.
VADM Carlos also denied that he was part of making such agreements with China, affirming that he did not know the call was being recorded.
Meanwhile, Commodore Trinidad downplayed speculation over the former WESCOM chief’s nearly month-long leave.
“The AFP deemed it necessary to have a regular commander, hence Admiral Torres was designated as the regular commander of Western Command. This would also allow Admiral Carlos to be able to face all the issues and the smear campaign raised against him. So, he was rotated to GHQ to give him the time,” the Navy official said.
Trinidad repeated VADM Carlos’ sworn testimony before the Senate when asked if it was typical for a Philippine military general to have a direct line with the defense attaché of China.
“According to the Admiral in the Senate inquiry, it was his discretion. He was trying to operationalize the guidance of the Commander-in-Chief to de-escalate, to reduce tensions.”
Defense and security officials have called on a probe into the actions of the Chinese embassy, with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser, Secretary Eduardo Año, calling for the deportation and removal of the Chinese diplomats who violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the country’s anti-wiretapping law.