The recent ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) against the 2005-Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) between the Philippines, Vietnam, and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) only gives the country more reason not to pursue the joint oil and gas exploration with China, a fishers' group said.
In a statement sent to the press, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) Chairperson Fernando Hicap welcomed the SC's ruling declaring JMSU as unconstitutional and urged President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. to assert the country's sovereign rights instead.
“Ikinalulugod namin ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema na idinideklarang labag sa konstitusyon ang JMSU. Ipinapakita nitong walang legal na batayan ang anumang kasunduan na nagpapahintulot sa anumang bansa na galugarin, gamitin, at higit sa lahat ay abusuhin ang ating likas-yaman (We welcome the Supreme Court ruling declaring JMSU unconstitutional. This invalidates the legality of any joint agreement that allows other countries to explore, utilize, and more so plunder our natural resources)," he said.
The fishers' group said that the decision will strengthen their call against any efforts to revive the negotiations for Philippines and China's joint oil and gas exploration.
"Mapapalakas ng nasabing desisyon ang panawagang huwag nang ituloy ang anumang hakbangin na muling buhayin ang usapin ng joint oil and gas exploration sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at China sa West Philippine Sea. Dapat tumalima at kilalanin ng administrasyong Marcos ang desisyong ito sa pamamagitan ng aktibong paggiit ng ating soberanya laban sa agresyon ng China (The SC ruling will strengthen our call against any efforts to revive the negotiations for a joint oil and gas exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea. The Marcos administration should adhere and recognize this ruling by way of actively asserting our sovereign rights against China’s aggression)," the official stressed.
Pamalakaya earlier labeled the planned Philippines and China's joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea as a "risky undertaking", saying that 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."
At the moment, Hicap noted, the country has "two strong legal bases to assert our territory"—the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea that recognizes our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and the SC decision declaring the unconstitutionality of a joint venture with China.
"Wala nang dahilan ang administrasyong Marcos para hindi aktibong itaguyod ang ating pambansang soberanya (The Marcos administration has no reason not to actively uphold our national sovereignty)," he maintained.
During his visit in China earlier this year, 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 said.
"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 was necessary for the Philippine economy.
The progressive group, however, said 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," Pamalakaya Spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo stressed in a previous statement.
"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 added.