Manila, Philippines: Former president Rodrigo Duterte never made an agreement with China that is against the country's interest, his former spokesman Salvador Panelo said Wednesday.

Panelo issued the statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was "horrified" that the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea might have been compromised by Duterte's so-called gentleman's agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In a statement, Panelo insisted that no such agreement was mad" between Duterte and Xi about the West Philippine Sea.

"I have not entered into any gentleman's agreement whatsoever," he quoted Duterte as saying.

Panelo said three members of Duterte's Cabinet -- former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and former Interior Secretary Eduardo Año – have also issued denials.

"I was present in the state visit made by FPRRD (former president Duterte) in China as well as in the dialogue between the Chinese President and FPRRD. No such agreement was made between the two," said Panelo, who was also Duterte's top legal counsel.

"FPRRD has never, and would never enter into any agreement that is against our national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

He added that Marcos could have been "misinformed or has been misled by the alleged non-existent 'gentleman's agreement.'"

Former Palace spokesman Harry Roque earlier claimed Duterte entered into a "gentleman's agreement" with China regarding the conduct of Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and the movement of Filipino fishermen in Panatag Shoal.

Under the supposed deal, Manila agreed to limit the delivery of supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded warship that serves as a Philippine outpost in Ayungin, to food and water.

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