PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Philippines must find ways to explore and exploit natural resources in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, despite differences with China.
The President, during the “Kadiwa ng Pasko” caravan in Quezon City, said the contested waterway is within Philippine territory and the country needs to “fight” for what it owns and “benefit” from reported oil and gas sources in the area.
He said a government-to-government (G2G) deal between the Philippines and China — which is claiming almost the entire South China Sea — would be difficult to close especially because both countries are claiming ownership of the disputed waterway.
“I think there might be other ways para hindi gawing G2G or I don’t know. We’ll have to find a way kasi kailangan na natin. We already need, kung may mahanap diyan (I think there might be other ways to avoid a G2G or I don’t know. We’ll have to find a way kasi because we need it [resources]. We already need, if we find some there),” Marcos said.
He did not say how the Philippines would undertake the exploration without China.
A memorandum for a joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea has been signed by Manila and Beijing but it was terminated by the Duterte government in 2018 due constitutional constraints and issues of sovereignty. China also insisted on its ownership of the disputed area.
He said what really happened is that China is claiming a part of Philippine territory and insisting it is theirs, while the Philippines has also been insisting the area is part of the Philippines, and Philippine laws should be followed.
“So, iyun talaga ang roadblock doon. Mahirap makita kung papano natin maayos ‘yun (So, that’s really the roadblock there. It’s difficult to see how it can be fixed],” Marcos said.
The President is set to make a state visit to China in January and he is expected to discuss with Chinese President Xi the issue territorial row and related concerns. The Department of Foreign Affairs previously said both presidents have expressed their desire to restart discussions on the joint venture.
It also said there were “initial and general discussions” on a possible joint exploration in the WPS in September but it never prospered.
It was during the Arroyo administration that Manila and Beijing signed several agreements to undertake joint oil explorations in the disputed waters, including a three-year oil exploration research around the Spratly group of islands.
In 2005, a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking was also signed by the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), the China National Offshore Oil Co (CNOC), and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp (PetroVietnam) — which represented the Philippines, China and Vietnam — to jointly conduct research of petroleum resource material offshore regardless if they are in the disputed or undisputed territories.
In 2014 under the Aquino administration, the government imposed a moratorium on all energy explorations after it filed an arbitration case against China in connection with the territorial dispute.
In the succeeding Duterte administration, the moratorium was lifted and exploration activities resumed, including those undertaken by private firms.
A ruling on the arbitration case was issued in July 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, in favor of the Philippines as it invalidated China’s ownership claim over almost the entire South China Sea. China never acknowledged the ruling.
Meanwhile, Marcos said the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US is “continuously under negotiation and under evolution” due to changes and development in the world.
The US, through Vice President Kamala Harris who visited the country last week, affirmed her government’s commitment to defend the Philippines, adding that an “armed attack on the Philippines, armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US Mutual Defense commitments.”
Marcos said the Philippines is also reviewing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) due to the “many requests and proposals” from the US such as more joint exercises, and more access and use of the country’s military bases.
National Security Adviser Secretary Clarita Carlos has said the government has created a group to review the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. It is composed of officials from the National Security Council, the Department of National Defense, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
