SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said on Sunday, May 5, that the Philippines is not a party to any new arrangement with China on managing the situation in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro made the statement a day after the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Manila claimed that the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (Wescom), supposedly with the approval of the Philippine defense chief himself, had agreed on a “new model” in relation to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) earlier this year.
“I would like to clearly state that any insinuation that the Department of National Defense is a party to any ‘new model’ is a devious machination of China through their Embassy in Manila, and it is curious that it comes r…