PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., once again took a potshot against his predecessor former President Rodrigo Duterte, as their apparent word war over the continued intrusion of the Chinese forces in the West Philippine Sea continues.

Marcos Jr. this time urged Duterte to make public the supposed “secret deal” that was done with China, and he underscored that officials should be “accountable” for the decision that they had made.

The present Chief Executive said that the Chinese Embassy in Manila had confirmed that Duterte already agreed to regulate Philippine activities in the West Philippine Sea.

“Hindi namin maintindihan, very experienced lawyer si President Duterte… Bakit walang nakasulat sa papel? Bakit walang video? Bakit hindi nila sinabi sa amin na mayroong usapan?” Marcos Jr., said.

“Why is it secret? Don’t tell me it was just an oversight na hindi nasulat. Deliberate yung hindi sinulat. It was decided in the last administration that we will not record this… we will not announce it to the Filipino people, therefore it is a secret agreement,” he said.

Marcos Jr., also said he is not amenable to the agreement forged by the previous administration.

“I disagree with that idea that you enter into a secret agreement. You have any agreement with another sovereign state should really be known by the people so that way you’re accountable. If it’s a bad decision, you’re accountable,” he said.

It is in this regard that Marcos Jr. called on journalists to go after officials who served in the previous administration.

He said that he could “not get straight answers” from those he spoke with.

“Mayroon talaga silang secret na patagong usapan. Malinaw sa akin na may usapan sila na tinago sa taong bayan,” Marcos Jr. said.

“We need to know: what did you agree to? What did you compromise? Ano yung pinamigay ninyo?” he asked.

On Thursday Duterte admitted that he had agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a status quo in the West Philippine Sea.

He also said that the deal involved not bringing construction materials for the repair and upkeep of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Likewise, Duterte said that Marcos should ask National Security Adviser Eduardo Año about the deal.

However Marcos was quick to retort that Año was not privy to the details of the supposed agreement with China.

“Hindi siya kasama sa usapan (he was not part of the talks). He was a part of the Cabinet but he was not part of the discussion,” the President said.

“He had some vague knowledge that we were talking to China, but we are always talking to China because we are trying to minimize tensions in West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Courtesy: PTV4 screenshot

But the former president said that despite the verbal agreement, “We have not conceded anything to China.”

“There might have been exchange of control over the China sea, pero those were really territorial in nature, not involving the encroachment of China in an exclusive economic zone. Iba yon….Nobody but nobody in the Philippines today, either the Supreme Court, the presidency or Congress can concede anything about territories. Hindi gawain ng presidente yan,” he said.

Marcos retorted: “We need to clarify the situation because nalalagay ang Pilipinas sa alanganin.” 

“Paano mo gagawin ang tama kung hindi mo alam na mayroong palang secret deal sa tabi? Ano yung tinatago niyo, bakit hindi niyo sinabi?” he said.

Duterte had called Marcos a “cry baby” always running to the United States for help.