Nanindigan si Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio na hindi patas at hindi dapat tanggapin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas sinasabing verbal agreement nina Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at Chinese President Xi Jinping sa West Philippine Sea.
Sa isang statement, sinabi ni Carpio na sang-ayon ito sa pahayag ni Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr. na walang opisyal na polisiya ang Pilipinas na nagbibigay pahintulot sa mga Tsino na mangisda sa exclusive economic zone ng bansa na sumasaklaw sa Reed o Recto Bank.
Ayon kay Carpio, alam daw ni Locsin na wala namang record ng umano’y verbal deal ng dalawang pangulo.
“Secretary Locsin knows that there is no recorded minutes of the so-called verbal agrrement between President Xi and President Duterte allowing the Chinese to fish in Reed Bank in exchange for Filipinos fishing in Scarborough Shoal,” saad ni Carpio.
“This verbal agreement, aside from being clearly against the Constitution, is so lopsided it should be rejected by the Philippine government,” dagdag nito.
“Any such verbal agreement, if confirmed by the Philippine government, will bind the Philippines to allow the Chinese to fish in Reed Bank for as long as China allows Filipinos to fish in Scarborough Shoal.”
Paliwanag pa ni Carpio, mahigit 8,660 sq. km ang sukat ng Recto Bank, habang may lawak lamang na 150 sq. km ang Scarborough Shoal.
Sa labas lamang din aniya ng Scarborough Shoal nakakpangisda ang mga Pilipino at hindi sa loob mismo ng lagoon na isang mayamang fishing ground.
“China has the largest fishing fleet in the world with huge modern trawlers. The Filipinos only have wooden boats with outriggers. The Chinese can deplete the fish in Reed Bank very quickly,” ani Carpio.
Una nang sinabi ni Locsin na hindi maaaring ipatupad ang umano’y verbal agreement nina Duterte at Xi.
Katwiran ni Locsin, kagagawan ng legal experts ni Duterte ang rason kung bakit tingin nito ay maaaring hayaan lamang nang basta ang mga dayuhang estado na mamalaot sa eksklusibong teritoryo ng bansa.
