Tread carefully on joint exploration with China – Tolentino

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration must tread carefully in reviving talks for a possible joint exploration of resources in the West Philippine Sea with Beijing, as it may lead to more Chinese fortifications in the WPS, Sen. Francis Tolentino said yesterday.

Tolentino, vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said any agreement to conduct joint exploration of mineral resources in the WPS with other countries must abide by the Supreme Court decision on the matter, uphold the Constitution, and recognize the 2016 ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague that junked China’s “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea that all made reference to the Philippines’ rights to its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) must really be prepared on what to do so they must protect our 200-mile EEZ. They also must ensure that it (joint exploration) must comply with our Constitution, that we have control… it would be also good that we add in any agreement that the arbitral ruling is recognized,” Tolentino told dzBB in Filipino.

“It would also be good if the agreement would state that we would be the one supervising, we would have majority stake, have a bigger share (of resources), that would be better if such are stated,” he said.

Tolentino cited the SC ruling released last Jan. 10 that declared unconstitutional the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking between the Philippine National Oil Co., China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp. forged during the term of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The senator also noted the Constitution bars majority or full foreigner ownership of certain strategic industries and mineral resources.

He warned that a joint exploration with China could be a “pretext” for Beijing to further expand its presence in the WPS, to include deploying more armed vessels, “under disguise” as scientific or research ships.

“Because they (Beijing) would say we now have the right to drill, conduct scientific marine research. So, maybe our DFA should go slow on this issue, be very careful because this (joint exploration) might be a trap,” Tolentino said.

“They might expand, and this (agreement) will be abused, and their presence increased, and what is wrong in the first place will be legitimized,” he said.

He said the Senate must be involved in such talks being part of foreign policy-making.