A right that is wrong

Sometime within the very first semester of my freshman college of arts year I came upon a somewhat confusing statement. It was in the subject Introduction to Philosophy. Our professor, whom we knew graduated from the seminary with high honors but did not become a priest, told us that something typically considered 'right' can still be 'wrong'. My young mind was perplexed. How could right be wrong? Our teacher, however, qualified his statement that right can be wrong with the saving clause “depending on the context, intention, or consequences” or words to that effect considering the blurring of my memory to that 1967 Philosophy I class. He gave us though an easily rememberable converse example: It is wrong to tell a lie, but if in telling such lie he saves a life, his wrong is right!

True to the off-tangent nature of this column, I remember that lesson in our Philosophy class of almost 60 years ago when I read in social media, an otherwise jaw-dropping news report. Accordingly, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., said in an interview with Bloomberg that he “is open to restarting talks with Beijing on a joint oil and gas project.” For the Philippines to go into an oil and gas joint exploration with Communist China is a right decision that is wrong.

Here is a backgrounder. On January 19, 2026, the Philippines announced a significant new natural gas discovery at the Malampaya East 1 (MAE-1) well near Palawan. This newly-discovered field is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place with initial tests showing 60 million cubic feet (1.6 million cubic meters) of gas that could be extracted daily from the well. Then on March 27, the Camago 3, also located offshore of Palawan was successfully drilled and tested. According to the report this well holds an estimated 2.5 times more recoverable gas than the previously discovered Malampaya East-1. President Marcos Jr., was quoted having said “Together, these two wells are projected to extend the life of the Malampaya gas field by an estimated six years.”

Behind these glowing words of President Marcos Jr., “This is indigenous energy. It is ours. This is our future. And it is how we protect every Filipino from the burden of rising global fuel prices, is the report that in an interview with Bloomberg Television, he also said that he was open to restarting talks with China on joint oil and gas development in contested parts of the South China Sea, xxx”.

This is a right decision. Or so it apparently seems. We need to tap the massive industrial, technological, and financial might of the Communist Chinese to speed the exploration and exploitation process. I am talking of capacity and efficiency. With the Communists working side-by-side with us, Filipinos, we can draw the oil and gas from the bowels of the earth fast. And here is the justification --as soon as we can extract these natural resources, we can address a great part of our staggering oil crisis.

There is this further reason. When we jointly develop this huge deposits found inside the West Philippine Sea with the communists, the Chinese will stop harassing Filipino fishermen, desist from training water hoses on Philippine Coast Guard vessels, refrain from aiming laser lights at Philippine Navy personnel and (in heaven’s graces!) dismantle their military facilities which they built on some islets in the WPS. Right?

Wrong. Communist China is salivating over the West Philippine Sea. Giving them the chance to enter freely the WPS under the protective legal guise of joint oil exploration is what they need to pursue their plan of overcoming the decision of the Permanent International Arbitration Tribunal ruling that the WPS belongs to the Philippines. Who knows they will push their claim of owning the entire 9 (or rather 10) dash line and exclude us totally from enjoying our oil and gas reserves.

BLURB:

“Giving them the chance to enter freely under the legal guise of joint oil exploration is what they need to pursue their plan of overcoming the ruling that the WPS belongs to the Philippines.”