Senator Robin Padilla favored yesterday the start of discussions between China and the Philippines on possible joint gas and oil exploration development in the contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Stopping the discussions would not do good to the Philippines which is thirsty for the inflow of imported oil whose cost has become expensive and has negative impact on the Philippine economy, Padilla said in his privilege speech in today’s plenary session.
How long should the Philippines wait which has rich reserves that are untapped, he asked.
Padilla cited a recent statement Liu Jianchao, a high ranking Chinese, that China is ready for discussions on a joint gas and oil development in the WPS.
`‘’Tiwala po ako sa ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na hindi nya pababayaan ang soberanya at ang ating Saligang Batas (I trust in Philippine Marcos that he would respect our sovereignty and our Constitution),’’ he added.
Hs said government officials must have an open mind and adopt diplomacy in approaching the problem because nothing would happen if it does not do anything.
Senator Ramon ‘’Bong’’ Revilla stressed that the WPS in the country’s ‘’’gold mine’’.
When Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri suggested that the Philippines look for oil and gas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Padilla said he was told that there are some 72,000 hectares in protected area for possible oil and gas development.
In case there are discussions for a joint oil and gas exploration agreement, Senator Risa Hontiveros of the Senate minority bloc said China should respect the historic 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, the Netherlands, that rejected China’s ‘’historic’’ claim over the South China Sea.
The WPS is part of the South China Sea.
Hontiveros also said China should stop dredging the sea bed for possible land reclamation in the contested area.
Earlier talks had seen Filipino negotiators insisting on the constitutional 60-40 investment sharing provision with the 60 percent capital shouldered by and eventual profits going to the Philippines.
Many Chinese vessels are in WPS, scaring Filipino fishermen away from their fishing grounds.
Padilla, during a weeklong hop in the islands in the WPS area, said he had seen big Chinese vessels, some of them ‘’industrial’’ sized.