This was printed today. And I'll put in bold where the article verifies we were going to drill two wells right before the moratorium. I don't know what 3 wells sources others are writing about. Please print your source or link it.
The proposed joint undertaking between the Philippines and China in the disputed seas is now a policy after President Duterte said the path is better than engaging the economic powerhouse in a confrontation that may inevitably lead to war.
Critics of Rody were immediately on his back saying the policy is a sell off of the country’s sovereignty.
Two areas were identified in the South China Sea where joint exploration for oil and gas may be undertaken that will be under the supervision of a special panel with representatives from both countries.
Rody had already stated that such ventures would be purely commercial agreements thus his statement about co-ownership that has been spun and used in the black ops against the President.
One of the sites of the joint exploration would be at the Reed Bank or what is called as SC-72 comprising 880,000-hectare SC-72 which was put on hold after the relations of both countries soured during the previous administration.
Noynoy’s administration initiated a case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that the Philippines won after the court in The Hague invalidated China’s claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea and also made clear the Reed Bank was inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China, however, did not recognize the ruling as it rejected third party intervention in the maritime conflict.
Since Reed Bank is a disputed area, Roque said “there must be an agreement before the two countries can proceed with the joint exploration.”
The project in Reed Bank which is also called Recto Bank has been sent to the freezer in late 2014 as Noynoy pursued the arbitration case, halting plans of the private firm PXP Energy’s plan to drill two wells. Chinese boats patroled the area.
In 2011, Chinese ships already harassed a survey ship contracted by PXP’s unit, Forum Energy after Noynoy made threatening statements on the pursuit of the country’s claims.
Roque cited the La Bugal case as a precedent on the legality of joint explorations between China and the Philippines.
“The problem with the critics of the administration is that they all want to be Supreme Court justices, lets just wait to be appointed thereat wait to have the same power to make those decisions,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
The 2004 La Bugal ruling provides that the President could enter into agreements with foreign entities for large-scale explorations.
The La Bugal case, therefore, provided a constitutional basis for what is being alleged as proof Rody coopted with China.
Under the La Bugal case, joint explorations are allowed under the Constitution provided the contract will have the signature of the President and the concurrence of Congress.
Concerns were misplaced over the co-ownership quip of Rody which according to his partymate Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is part of his penchant for cracking jokes.
Rody also said earlier that it may be better that the Philippines becomes a Chinese province to avoid the ongoing conflict.
“I already heard the Chinese province joke previously in a personal gathering. Maybe he saw that the joke drew a lot of laughs so he cracked it for the second time,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel noted that the public has long accepted Rody’s style of mixing, jokes, his toxic curses and his fatherly assurances in his speeches.
Also Rody had raised the country’s claims but avoided a confrontational tone with Chinese President Xi Jinping and was even admonished by China’s leader for raising the issue.
Rody said during the start of his term said that the country’s maritime claims would be raised at the right time when he believes the friendship bonds of both countries are strong enough to weather a protracted dispute.
Such an opportunity appears to be in the horizon.
Published in Editorial
