Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) gestures to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (L) during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 20 October 2016. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is on a official visit to China from 18-21 October. EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG

President Rodrigo Duterte's "gentleman's agreement" with Chinese President Xi Jinping to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal shows the duplicity of the past administration because it was kept secret from the public, a former senator said. 

Former Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, who served under Duterte, earlier said Duterte and Xi struck what he called a "gentleman's agreement" to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal, where Manila's military outpost, the rusting BRP Sierra Madre, in the West Philippine Sea is located.

"Nagkaroon kasi ng gentleman's agreement. Ito’y oral sa panahon ni Presidente Duterte na ang parehong panig, ang Tsina’t Pilipinas, ay rerespetuhin ang status quo, ibig sabihin, kung ano yung naroroon na, walang dagdag, walang bawas…Dumating yung Chinese Premier nung panahon ni Presidente Duterte at dumating din si President Xi mismo sa Pilipinas, so maraming pagkakataon talaga na nagkapulong hindi lang sa Ambassador, hindi lang sa Foreign Minister, kundi sa Premiere at kay President Xi dito sa Pilipinas, sa Tsina at iba-ibang venue," Roque said.

Roque further explained that the "gentleman’s agreement" was Duterte’s way to fix the icy relations between the Philippines and China under the Aquino administration.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), former senator Leila de Lima said Roque's revelation that Duterte and Xi had a "gentleman's agreement" not to repair the BRP Sierra Madre "only shows the duplicity of the past administration because of the fact that the agreement was kept secret from the public." 

She also noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not bound by the secret agreement. 

"A president cannot be bound by agreements secretly entered into by a predecessor for the simple reason that he has no way of complying with an agreement the details of which are subject to the recollection of those who knew about it, and therefore are highly unreliable. Parang utang lang ‘yan na nilista sa hangin," De Lima said.

"In the end, a gentleman's agreement heavily relies on the integrity of the parties, as the name implies," she added. 

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya earlier told ANC that there was no proof to back Roque's claims of a gentleman’s agreement.

Even if such a deal did exist, he said the Marcos administration already rescinded it.

NSC official dares Roque to explain alleged deal between Duterte admin, China

Beijing claims sovereignty over 90 percent of the South China Sea, where the smaller West Philippine Sea is located. In 2016, an international court in the Hague ruled that China's claims had no legal basis.