Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro on Monday questioned the deafening silence of former President Rodrigo Duterte on China's claim that the country promised to remove the military ship BRP Sierra Madre that is presently grounded at Ayungin Shoal.
In a statement, Castro recalled that Duterte regarded the country's arbitral victory as "a piece of paper that he can throw away in a trash bin" on May 6, 2021.
"Duterte said the ruling affirming the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone is just a piece of paper that led to nothing," she said.
The ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. also said that the former President has not yet disclosed what he had discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China in July.
She also raised that Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte has not yet issued a statement denouncing the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) recent attack against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) or denied that the country made such a promise to China.
"As it is, Duterte has the longest list of instances of sleeping with China," Castro said.
The ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. said she and other Makabayan bloc lawmakers are mulling filing a House resolution to probe " the supposed Philippine officials who promised the removal of BRP Sierra Madre or if China is just making this up".
Last Saturday, former president and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that she made no promise to the Chinese government or authorized any government officials to promise China that the military ship would be towed away.
Senators Joseph Victor 'JV' Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada first debunked the claim that it was their father, former President Joseph 'Erap' Estrada who promise China to dispose the BRP Sierra Madre in 1999.
