Palace bans all foreign seismic research at Phl rise

entities will no longer be allowed to conduct research in the Philippine Rise to protect the country’s sovereignty as ordered by President Duterte, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.

China and other countries have conducted scientific research in the Philippine or Benham Rise, an underwater plateau east of Isabela that is rich in marine life, corals and gas reserves.

Malacañang said the order was not directed against Beijing. But Esperon said the government will raise before the United Nations China’s move to name five undersea features in the Philippine Rise.

He said the Philippines had previously named some undersea features ahead of China’s move but these were not publicized.

Esperon said the President came up with the directive to stop maritime

studies in the area during last Monday’s Cabinet meeting at Malacañang and that the suspension is indefinite.

Speaking at the Weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Esperon said the research will be done by Filipino scientists and experts from the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute and other institutions on geological services or other science agencies as well as the DENR, National Coast Watch Center.

“The research will be done by us,” he said, adding: “In addition to our MSR (marine scientific research) ships, we will procure one that is better equipped. It will cost, including instruments, about P2.5 billion.”

Not about China

Esperon said the Duterte administration will also be strengthening the agencies to guard Philippine Rise from foreign incursion as the area can be a huge source of natural gas and food for Filipinos.

The Department of Energy will spearhead the procurement of the maritime survey ship, the national security adviser said.

Following an uproar against China’s conduct of research in the area, the Office of the National Security Adviser has been tasked to oversee the issuance of permits for marine seismic researches by foreign entities in Philippine Rise.

This job was done solely by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the past.

With pristine waters and the best of corals, Esperon also noted bluefin tuna thrives in Philippine Rise, which the country can tap for export and local consumption.

For his part, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President saw the need to assert sovereignty in Philippine Rise after the government monitored many foreign ships conducting unauthorized research in the area.

“The President noted that foreigners have been doing a lot of research and he noted that overwhelming number of researches have been –are undertaken by American firms whereas there were only two licenses given to Chinese firms,” Roque said.

“So, he has said that he will absolutely prohibit all the scientific researches in the area now. And when he said that it was not directed against China, it’s because as far as we know, China has only had two scientific researches in the area,” Roque added.

Esperon said the President was firm in protecting the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its waters.

“Our exclusive sovereign rights must be guarded. We will do that,” Esperon said.

“Any country that will violate the country’s (rights) will be met with force by the Philippine forces. We will face it with all our might. We will go to war with what we have… That’s the last resort but there will be other means to take care of things. War will be the option of last resort,” Esperon added.