ANG umano’y kasunduan na pinasok ng China at ilang opisyal ng Pilipinas kaugnay ng agawan ng teritoryo sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), kung totoo man, ay maituturing umanong “unconstitutional.”

“Kung meron pong secret agreement or anong klaseng agreement iyan, assuming for the sake of argument na totoo po ito…ito po ay illegal at unconstitutional,” ani Manila Rep. Joel Chua sa isang news conference.

Iginiit ni Chua na kung totoo man na mayroong kasunduang pinasok ang nakaraang administrasyon at China kaugnay ng Ayungin Shoal ay dapat itong pagtibayin ng Senado.

“Kung meron po talagang kasunduan na ganito na hindi po dumaan sa Senado or hindi sinang-ayunan ng Senado, eh kasi iyon po ang nakalagay sa ating Konstitusyon kailangan it should be concurred by two-third votes of the Senate. So, kung sila-sila lang po ang nag-usap tingin ko po eh meron pong constitutional issue dito. This is unconstitutional and void,” sabi ni Chua.

Ganito rin ang sinabi ni Assistant Majority Leader at Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon.

“If this arrangement or secret deal with China is not embodied in a written agreement or treaty, it is void for being unconstitutional. Under the constitution, any international agreement or treaty must be embodied in a written agreement and must be ratified by the Senate. So, if this arrangement is not ratified by the Senate or concurred in, and therefore it is not valid,” sabi ni Bongalon.

Ayon kay Bongalon mukhang ang China lamang ang nakakaalam ng sinasabi nitong kasunduan.

Sang-ayon din si Bongalon sa sinabi ni retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio na ang kasunduan ay maituturing na “gross inexcusable negligence” na mayroong masamang hangarin.

“So bakit gross in inexcusable negligence? Dahil, it violated the constitution na dapat ito po ay embodied in a treaty and ratified by the Senate. Bakit naman po ito merong evident bad faith? Sila lang po ang nakaalam, we are not properly informed. Kawawa naman po yung mga mangingisda doon,” paliwanag ni Bongalon.

Sinabi ni Bongalon na kung totoo man ang kasunduan, maaari itong bawiin ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. dahil hindi naman nakatali rito ang kasalukuyang administrasyon.

Ayon naman kay Assistant Majority Leader at Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong gumagamit ang China ng propaganda upang paghati-hatiin ang mga Pilipino sa isyu ng West Philippine Sea.

“I think beyond the legal issues nakikita ko po dito this is one of the tactics of China, part two ng propaganda ng PR ng China. In fact, Secretary [Gibo] Teodoro came out this morning with the statement denouncing that there was no such new arrangement,” ani Adiong.

“I think China is resorting to different kind of tactics, nandiyan ‘yung bullying, pati na rin ‘yung kasi they understand the importance of propaganda kasi it puts legitimacy to their illegal claim, sinasabi nila o nag-agree na kami at saka ang Pilipinas, so why are you acting this way? Why are you changing our agreement?” wika pa nito.

Ikinalungkot ni Adiong na mayroong mga Pilipino na sinusuportahan pa ang China sa kabila ng hindi kanais-nais na ginagawa nito.

“I think it’s very clear ang position ng ating President, ang ating gobyerno, that we have to fight for our claim at hindi lang ito arbitrarily claimed by the Philippines, the basis for this is the ruling of the UNCLOS and internationally we have the moral high ground to claim these areas and the West Philippine Sea,” saad pa ni Adiong.

Para naman kay Assistant Majority Leader at La Union Rep. Francisco “Paolo” Ortega V nagsasagawa ng imbestigasyon ang Kamara kaugnay ng isyu ng WPS sa susunod na linggo.

Sinabi naman ni Deputy Speaker at Quezon Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez na iresponsable ang pahayag ng China.

“I think it is very irresponsible. I mean nakikita naman natin iyong water cannons na ginagawa nila sa civilian vessels natin at nakikita naman natin iyong coordinated attacks na ginagawa nila to inhibit re-supply missions to our territories,” sabi pa nito.

“And what actually causes a bigger alarm is it seems like the West Philippine Sea is not enough. Because last week nanduon na po sila sa Pacific Ocean, sa tapat po ng Catanduanes. So ang bigger question is, ano ang ginagawa nila dito?” ayon pa sa solon.

“And I would just like to reiterate yung binanggit po kanina, kung mayroon mang kasunduan ‘yan, kung mayroon mang secret deal, it holds no water whatsoever and in fact the President has already said that he has rescinded all agreements that have been done in the past concerning the West Philippine Sea,” wika pa ni Suarez.