No oil, gas exploration in West Phl Sea yet

Despite an international arbitral court’s ruling upholding the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, oil and gas exploration in the area will remain on hold as the government contemplates its next move.

“We are still evaluating what would be our actions in relation to the decision,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a text message to The STAR yesterday when asked about the prospects of oil and gas explorations after the ruling.

While all concerned agencies are required to make their respective assessment of the situation in the wake of the court verdict, Cusi said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would spearhead the endeavor.

“The DFA will be assessing the overall implications of the verdict in coordination with other agencies of the government, among them the Department of Energy (DOE),” he said. “The Philippines reit- erates its abiding commitment to pursue a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea and promote peace and stability in the region through diplomacy and consultations.”

On Tuesday, the PCA ruled that China’s nine-dash line has no legal basis and that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights by constructing artificial islands, interfering with Filipinos’ fishing and oil exploration and failing to prevent Chinese from fishing in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“You must commend (former foreign affairs) secretary Albert del Rosario, he’s the architect of that arbitration petition,” businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan, chairman of Philex Petroleum, said the Philippine government should immediately study its next step after the release of the ruling. He also said his group would

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