West Philippine Sea joint exploration is treason — lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte’s offer for China to have joint exploration projects in the West Philippine Sea is a “treasonous act,” Rep. Gary Alejano of party-list group Magdalo said yesterday.

“The Constitution is clear that exploration, development and utilization of our natural resources should be solely and fully under our control and supervision,” Alejano said.

He said the ruling of the United Nations arbitral court “is also clear that we have no overlapping entitlements with China.”

He added he could not understand why the President would want to share the country’s natural resources with the Chinese.

“Where is assertion of our rights here? What I see is treason,” Alejano stressed.

Another congressman, Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay, expressed support for Duterte’s joint exploration offer.

“We support and appreciate the President’s plan to forge a 60-40 sharing agreement with China for the exploration of the West Philippine Sea, rather than risk going to war with our superpower neighbor,” Atienza said.

Unlike Benham Rise, he said islands in the West Philippine Sea are being claimed by several countries.

“President Duterte’s position for the joint exploration is a win-win situation and will definitely benefit both countries economically from whatever is discovered and developed in the area. If we listen to hotheaded politicians and naysayers, then we would all end up with nothing,” Atienza said. 

He added the country does not have the money to do exploration on its own.

One of the sea features believed to be rich in oil and natural gas is Recto (Reed) Bank.

During the previous Aquino administration, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a service contract for oil and gas exploration in Recto Bank to a company associated with businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

The DOE suspended the contract when the government filed a case against China with the UN arbitral court for claiming most of the South China Sea, including areas inside the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

The court has ruled that at least three disputed features, including Recto Bank and Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, are inside the Philippines’ EEZ. Panganiban Reef is where China reportedly landed military cargo planes recently.

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