Minority senators: PH-China deals should be 'constitutional, lawful'
By AJ Siytangco
Published Nov 22, 2018 12:43 pm
By Mario B Casayuran
The Senate minority bloc on Thursday emphasized the need for Congress to scrutinize the 29 deals and bilateral agreements the Philippine government has signed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Senator Frank Drilon
(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, vice chairman of the opposition Liberal (LP), anchored his position on the recent controversial Northrail Project and NBN-ZTE deal signed during the Arroyo administration. “The controversies involving these two multi-million dollar Philippine government undertakings with China are too recent to be forgotten,” he said. “Taking into account the grossly disadvantageous contracts that the government had previously signed with China, it is imperative that we scrutinize these new deals to assess whether the agreements are consistent with the constitution and our laws,” Drilon stressed. The aborted North Rail project ($421 million), which Drilon fiercely opposed for being grossly overpriced, and the controversial NBN-ZTE deal ($329 million) were two of the biggest deals the country signed with China. Drilon also called for absolute transparency, most particularly with regard to the exploration of the country’s natural resources. He said that consistent with the Constitution, the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. He cited Section 2 of the Constitution which states that “All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State.” Drilon also stressed that “all agreements that may involve exploration of natural resources should comply with the nationality requirement of the constitution." ‘’Section 2 of the Constitution is clear in that regard, which further states that “the State may directly undertake activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens,’’ he added. “We will be vigilant in scrutinizing these agreements,” said Drilon, adding, “We are prepared to go to court on this,’’ he said. Earlier. Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III told Senate reporters that any oil and gas exploration agreement should be in keeping with a constitutional mandate that specifically states a 60-40 percent sharing with the Philippines getting a 60 percent profit or capital burden. But the talks between President Duterte and President Xi Jinping on the energy exploration contract is still in the memorandum of agreement (MOU) stage, he pointed out. Sotto and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with the Chinese leader last Wednesday at the Shangrila at the Fort Hotel in Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
Senator Frank Drilon(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, vice chairman of the opposition Liberal (LP), anchored his position on the recent controversial Northrail Project and NBN-ZTE deal signed during the Arroyo administration. “The controversies involving these two multi-million dollar Philippine government undertakings with China are too recent to be forgotten,” he said. “Taking into account the grossly disadvantageous contracts that the government had previously signed with China, it is imperative that we scrutinize these new deals to assess whether the agreements are consistent with the constitution and our laws,” Drilon stressed. The aborted North Rail project ($421 million), which Drilon fiercely opposed for being grossly overpriced, and the controversial NBN-ZTE deal ($329 million) were two of the biggest deals the country signed with China. Drilon also called for absolute transparency, most particularly with regard to the exploration of the country’s natural resources. He said that consistent with the Constitution, the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. He cited Section 2 of the Constitution which states that “All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State.” Drilon also stressed that “all agreements that may involve exploration of natural resources should comply with the nationality requirement of the constitution." ‘’Section 2 of the Constitution is clear in that regard, which further states that “the State may directly undertake activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least 60 per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens,’’ he added. “We will be vigilant in scrutinizing these agreements,” said Drilon, adding, “We are prepared to go to court on this,’’ he said. Earlier. Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III told Senate reporters that any oil and gas exploration agreement should be in keeping with a constitutional mandate that specifically states a 60-40 percent sharing with the Philippines getting a 60 percent profit or capital burden. But the talks between President Duterte and President Xi Jinping on the energy exploration contract is still in the memorandum of agreement (MOU) stage, he pointed out. Sotto and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with the Chinese leader last Wednesday at the Shangrila at the Fort Hotel in Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City (BGC).