Philippines open to joint West Philippine Sea exploration with China, others

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang affirmed yesterday that President Duterte is opening doors to possible joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea with China and interested private firms.

“The President is open to possible cooperation with foreign entities in exploring and extracting mineral and gas resources in the West Philippine Sea,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Echoing calls for the protection of the country’s interest, Abella stressed that “any venture must be compliant with the Philippine Constitution and local laws, and have terms which protect the national interest and are beneficial to the Filipino people.” ?He said the government is “open to broader options for partnerships.”

“We are not limiting ourselves to exclusive economic relationships,” he pointed out.

Malacañang issued the statement after Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano revealed that the President wants the country to enter into joint exploration with China.  

During the budget hearings at the House of Representatives, Cayetano assured lawmakers that the endeavor would “conform with our national laws, the Constitution and the Supreme Court cases and rulings on the matter.”

“No national territory or sovereignty will be lost. We will not give even an inch of territory to them,” Cayetano said.

He said the joint exploration and development projects could be for oil, natural gas, marine life and other natural resources.  

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. also broached the idea of forging a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with China amid overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, noting that a similar treaty with the US failed to protect the country from incursions in Philippine waters. 

“The US failed to defend and rescue us because they don’t consider the building of military facilities by China in the West Philippine Sea as a form of aggression. They are just for the safe navigational pass (of their products)… If this is the situation, we should abrogate the MDT with the US and establish a similar one with China,” he stressed. – With Delon Porcalla