Senator bucks joint oil exploration with China
SEN. Ana Theresia Hontiveros on Sunday said there should be no joint oil exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS or South China Sea) until it abides by TheHague ruling rejecting Beijing’s claim of almost the entirety of the disputed waters.
The senator made the remark amid reports that President Rodrigo Duterte had lifted the oil exploration moratorium in the WPS.
She said joint oil exploration should only begin after China acknowledges and abides by the 2016 Permanent Arbitration Court ruling recognizing the Philippines’ exclusive sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.
“The requirements of the Constitution should be met and our sovereign ownership over the resources in our continental shelf must be recognized,” Hontiveros added.
She noted that the WPS, known to be the “second Persian Gulf,” was reported to contain as much as 130 billion barrels of oil.
“Mayamansa oil [ and) gas reserves ang West Philippine Sea, kaya pilit itong inaagaw (The WPS is rich in oil and gas reserves that was why it was being grabbed [from us]),” the senator said.
Retired senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said in his electronic book, South China Sea Dispute, that the WPS might be rich in methanol, a biofuel that could “fuel China’s economy for 130 years.”
“We must not easily grant China access to our seas, not only because of her rejection of the 2016 ruling, but also because we need to safeguard money and resources that can get us through this pandemic,” Hontiveros said.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the lifting of the moratorium was done “in good faith” and in consideration of the negotiations between the Philippines and China.
Hontiveros however said that the government should maintain that the Philippines, not China, has exclusive sovereign rights over the Philippines’ EEZ.
“Any admissions and concessions made during negotiations with China would weaken our position in the WPS,” the senator said. “We’ve already won legally and diplomatically, and if the government itself cannot stand by this victory, China will only use this against us.”