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According to China (2nd para, I've added the first for context):

The Philippines grounded a World War II-era warship, the Sierra Madre, on the shoal in 1999 to assert its claim to sovereignty and now keeps its marines stationed on it, but the vessel’s isolation and aging condition make it a relatively easy target to harass.

“The Philippine side has repeatedly promised to tow away the ‘grounded’ warship, but 24 years have passed, and the Philippines has not only failed to tow away the warship but also attempted to repair and strengthen it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of the Ren’ai Reef,” a China Coast Guard statement said, using the Chinese name for the shoal.

When did the Philippines makes such promises? Are there any public statements from Philippine authorities making that promise to tow away the Sierra Madre?

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No such promise has been made publicly, and China has not been specific about who made the promise or when.

House member France Castro has alleged that the promise may have been made privately by Duterte himself when he met with Xi in 2016. In August of 2023, this question became the subject of an official inquiry by the Philippines' House Committee on Foreign Affairs per Resolution No. 1215.

I don't see any information on the progress of the official investigation so it's unclear if or when more details may be forthcoming.

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