It's time to negotiate with China on a joint oil and gas exploration at the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS) like businessmen, Senator Robinhood Padilla said on Thursday, July 28.

This "businessman approach" entails that 60 percent of the sharing agreement would go to China because it has equipment to drill for oil, while the remaining 40 percent would go to he Philippines, he said.

This proposal, however, runs counter to the provision of the 1987 Constitution that says the Philippines must get 60 percent and the foreign investor, 40 percent, of the profit.

Past pronouncements of Philippine leaders were steadfast in upholding the constitutional 60-40 percent sharing.

Padilla is chairman of the Senate Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws.

In a free-wheeling talk with Senate reporters, Padilla said the Philippines should not talk about territory when negotiating with China because there would always be disagreements.

‘’Ang pagusapan natin ang kita (What we should talk about is profit). Bumutas ka na diyan (You drill). Wala tayong kakayahan para bumutas, wala tayong kahit anong equipment para bumutas (We don’t have the ability to drill, we don’t have the equipment to be used in drilling),’’ Padilla stressed.

‘’Ang China siguradong meron niyan (Surely, China has the equipment). E di saka tayo maghati kung ano bang gusto ng China dahil mamuhnan (We would later talk on the issue of sharing ...what China wants because it would be the financier),’’ he pointed out.

Padilla said God has given Filipinos the natural resources that they need such as oil, gas, gold, ore, and copper.

‘’Di ko alam bakit tayo ay nahuhuli sa ... mahirap na..(But why are we being left behind?), he asked.

‘’Basta ang kailangan lang natin ngayon, imbes na inaaway natin ang China magkaroon na lang tayo ng joint exploration sa kanila sa WPS (What we need today is a joint oil exploration agreement with China, instead of fighting China),’’ he said.

‘’Kung gusto niyo 60 sa inyo, 40 sa amin (China can have 60 percent while we get 40 percent). Basta pagkakitaan na natin siya (We need to be profitable),’’ he added.

‘’Wag masyadong maging matigas kung kumakalam ang sikmura ng taumbayan (Don’t be hardheaded when the stomachs of our countrymen are growling). Mahirap maging matapang masyado nang gutom ka kasi ang katapangan na yan nagiging pang-siraulo na yan (Too much bravery is a problem because that situation only applies to the crazies),’’ he stressed.

‘’Sa akin gutom ang kababayan natin, trilyon ang utang natin (My concern is the hunger of Filipinos, our P11 trillion debt) . Dapat matuto din tayo ng diplomacy (We should learn diplomacy). Kasi ang panahon ng katapangan hindi ito ang oras ngayon (This is not the time to be brave),’’ he said.

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 25, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he would never give a square inch of Philippine territory to a foreign power.