Maritime research dapat bukas sa lahat –Esperon

Sinabi ni National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. kahapon sa Senate Committee on Science and Technology na makabubuti sa interes ng Pilipinas na hikayatin ang maritime scientific research (MSRs) sa territorial waters nito.

Nagsalita sa joint committee hearing ng Senado kaugnay sa maritime scientific studies na isinagawa sa Philippine Rise (Benham Rise), sinabi ni Esperon na makikinabang ang gobyerno sa MSRs sa territorial waters nito, mga lokal o banyaga man ang magsasagawa nito.

Bilang chairman ng Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, sinabi ni Esperon na “totally agree” siya na ang University of the Philippines Marine Scientific Institute (UP-MSI), Philippine Council for Aquatic, Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Development at ang Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development Center “should conduct studies at the Philippine Rise and the West Philippine Sea to account for the aquatic, mineral and oil and gas deposit in the maritime territory.”

“MSR should not even be confined to these entities, but any national government agency and state university that have statutory mandate to do research and development should be encouraged and supported to do MSR,” ani Esperon sa committee na pinamumunuan ni Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV.

Sinabi ni Esperon na ang dahilan kaya nagpasya ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na suspendihin ang lahat ng foreign MSR sa PH Rise ay para pahintulutan ang bansa “to take a cause because the public discussion on the MSR appears to be going in all directions.”

Ngunit matapos makipagpulong kay Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary on Maritime and Ocean Affairs Lourdes Yparraguirre, pinuno ng technical working group na nag-aasikaso sa MSR applications, naging malinaw sa Pangulo na “MSR is conducted for the benefit of all mankind.”