Malacañang said there was no urgency for the proposed meeting of President Rodrigo Duterte with former presidents to tackle issues pertaining to the West Philippine Sea issue or the National Security Council (NSC).
In his regular press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the proposed meeting cropped up after former senate president and defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile shared his views on the maritime dispute with Duterte.
Enrile attended a meeting with the President and other Cabinet members at the Palace last week and voiced his concern that the country would “lose more” if it antagonized China over the maritime row.
“It seems that there is no urgency to talk about this matter either with the National Security Council or with former presidents,” Roque said.
“So this is not a done deal, it was something that the President was speculating on before JPE fully concurred with his policy on the WPS,” he added.
At the same time, Malacanang said Monday the Philippines had not lost territory to China since President Duterte opted to use a bilateral approach to settle the West Philippine Sea dispute five years ago.
Roque made this comment after Vice President Leni Robredo urged the government to employ a multilateral approach, claiming bilateral talks with China were not enough to protect the country’s interest in the WPS.
He also said the President was still considering whether the Visiting Forces of the Philippines would be of any good to the country if the situation with China in the West Philippine Sea deteriorated.
Roque made the remarks even as he said Duterte had yet to decide whether to follow through with his order in February 2020 to terminate the VFA, which provides for the presence of US forces in the Philippines.
“The President is the lone architect of foreign policy. It is not true that our bilateral approach to the West Philippine Sea is not working because after five years of the President’s term, we have not lost territory to China, we have no conflict with China. So, I beg to disagree, the President’s policy has been working for the past five years,” Roque said in a virtual Palace press briefing.
On July 12, 2016, the Philippines won its petition against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, after the court invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line map which covers nearly the entire South China Sea.
China has repeatedly ignored the 2016 PCA ruling, while the Philippines has sought to resolve the sea dispute through a diplomatic approach.
Roque said Duterte might pursue his present policy on the WPS in his remaining year in office after former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile concurred that the President is pursuing the right approach on the territorial dispute.
Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon cited as a step in the right direction the virtual bicameral meeting that held last Friday between high-ranking diplomatic officials of the Philippines and China regarding the situation and concern on the West Philippine Sea.
"The bicameral meeting or any development that would reduce tension and avoid misunderstandings between the Philippines and China is more than welcome," said Gordon.
He hoped the bilateral meeting would result in the stopping of the unwelcome activities in the West Philippine Sea by the Chinese naval assets.
"We are friendly people but we don’t want to be threatened, especially our hardworking fisherfolk,” he said.
Roque said he thought Duterte was “satisfied” that his policy was “correct and working.”
The Palace official said that Duterte merely “toyed with the idea” of informal talks with the former presidents instead of convening the National Security Council.
The VFA was signed by then President Joseph Estrada in 1999. It provides for the presence of US forces in the Philippines to hold joint military exercises, counter intelligence training, and engage in humanitarian aid missions.
It prohibits US troops from engaging in combat operations.
Chinese incursions in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, including an imposition of a fishing ban, have prompted the Philippines to file multiple diplomatic protests against China.
The VFA provides that the pact "shall remain in force until the expiration of 180 days from the date on which either party gives the other party notice in writing that it desires to terminate the agreement.”
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, in a July 2016 ruling, rejected China's massive claim of sovereignty in the entire South China Sea and outlawed China's aggression against Filipino fisherfolk.
Earlier, Duterte said it was better to hold informal consultations instead of starting a meeting with the National Security Council.
Former Senator Rodolfo Biazon earlier said the President should start the council meeting to address diverging views of government agencies on the country’s sea dispute with China.
Biazon, a former Armed Forces chief of staff, said the lack of clarity from the National Government could weaken the country’s claims in theSouth China Sea.
The NSC is an advisory body where the President discusses national security and foreign policy matters with relevant advisers and Cabinet officials.
The Department of Foreign Affairs last weekend said the Philippines and China have agreed on the importance of holding dialogues on territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea to de-escalate tension over the disputed waters.
The DFA said the agreement was reached during the sixth meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea held Friday.
The BCM is a bilateral forum formed by President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese president Xi Jinping during their 2016 meeting.
The department added that both sides acknowledged the importance of addressing differences in an atmosphere of openness and cordiality to pave the way for practical cooperation and initiatives.
In related developments, the Philippines has acquired Turkish Aerospace Industries T129B "ATAK" helicopters for its attack helicopter program, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday.
"We have already ordered six (T129B helicopters)," Lorenzana said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.
The budget for the attack helicopter program is placed at around P13.8 billion.
"According to schedule, (deliveries will start in the) third quarter," Lorenzana said.
The T129 is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance missions in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions.
The defense chief earlier said the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is more interested in acquiring the T129B for its attack helicopter program.
The PAF is looking to acquire dedicated but affordable attack helicopters to beef up its fleet of lightly-armed helicopters like the MG-520 and AW-109E which are being used for counter-terror and ground support missions.