Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said several gaps remain unexplained regarding how the country lost Scarborough Shoal to China.
This, he said, includes the role of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on the negotiations with China at that time.
During the public address of President Rodrigo Duterte last Monday, Enrile noted that until now he still has no idea who asked the United States to broker an agreement for the Philippines and China to withdraw their forces in the said area.
“So ask [Former Foreign Affairs Secretary] Albert del Rosario who asked for the help of America [on the matter]? Was it Ambassador [Jose] Cuisa, who was the Philippine ambassador to Washington before or was it the Palace, President Aquino? We have no idea,” Enrile said.
To recall, during the Scarborough in 2012, the country complied with the agreement of the US and pulled out its forces in the area, while those from China remained.
The incident allowed China to occupy the said area.
Enrile asked why did the US not help the country enforce the agreement it helped forged with China.
Trillanes role
Enrile also disclosed how he was summoned to the Malacañang during the term of Aquino, when he was still the Senate President to discuss the Scarborough incident.
Present in the meeting were Aquino, Del Rosario, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Enrile said.
During that time, Enrile raised questions on the details of the US agreement and the role of Trillanes on the issue. However no less than Aquino vouched that he authorized Trillanes to hold backchannel talks with China in his behalf.
“Of the senators who were incumbent at the time, why was Trillanes selected as the negotiator for Aquino? And where did Trillanes get the influence over some authorities in Beijing in those days,” Enrile said.
The former lawmaker said these were the crucial points, which will determine, who is responsible for the Scarborough incident.
Demand for truth
Duterte has blamed the previous administration for losing Scarborough Shoal due to its botched agreement of the US.
This prompted him to invite Enrile in his public address to discuss what he knows on the “secretive” Scarborough agreement.
“So one of these days, maybe the Filipino people should demand the truth,” Duterte said,
“If they cannot get it from the mouth of Trillanes because maybe it would be a self-preservation thing, then at least some people in the Foreign Ministry, especially our ambassador at that time, Ambassador Brady, can explain because as I understand from you earlier, there — she was not allowed by Trillanes to take notes,” he added.
Last week, Del Rosario hit back against Duterte for pinning the blame on the Aquino administration instead of China, who blatantly violated the agreement.
Duterte said had it happened during his term, he would not have pulled out the country’s ships in the West Philippine Sea.