Amid current talks about Philippines and China's joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea, a fishers' group expressed its oppositionto the plan and called the move a "risky undertaking.”
In a statement, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) Spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo voiced out the group's disappoinments, saying that it is "simply enraging" how President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. can even consider having a joint venture with China.
“We reiterate our strong opposition on the planned joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea. It is simply enraging to think that Marcos can comprehend entering a joint venture with a country that illegally occupies and plunders our territorial waters," he said.
"Marcos is quick to demonstrate his subservience and puppetry through his defeatist stance against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Similar to his predecessor (Rodrigo) Duterte, Marcos seems to set aside this pressing matter for the sake of securing foreign loans and investments from China with hefty and onerous terms of payments," the official went on.
During his visit in China, Marcos disclosed that the Philippine side asked for sovereign rights in the potential joint exploration.
“I think the central issue there is the difference between sovereignty and sovereign rights,” the President stated.
"What we are asking for are sovereign rights. We are not demanding sovereignty over those areas. This is... the wiggle room that we have to negotiate with. I think that’s the direction that those talks would take," he added, noting that he told Chinese President Xi Jinping that oil and gas exploration would be necessary for the Philippine economy.
The fishers' group, however, believes that "nothing favorable to the Philippines" could come out from the joint exploration.
"We assert that nothing favorable to the Philippines could come out from this joint exploration with China that blatantly disregards our sovereign rights and territorial integrity. Rather, this shady deal would only institutionalize and further the Chinese plunder of our marine and energy resources in the West Philippine Sea," Arambulo stressed.
"Instead, Marcos should make China pay for its destruction of our coral reefs and marine resources, as well as its illegal occupation of our sea features for a decade now. This risky undertaking must be opposed by local marine scientists and researches as well, whom for many years have been neglected of government support, hindering us to develop and utilize our own energy and mineral resources,” he continued.