Joint exploration solidifies China's claim on West Philippine Sea — Magdalo
MANILA, Philippines — Pursuing a joint exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea would be a disadvantage for the Philippines, Magdalo Partylist said Thursday.
The Duterte administration has been discussing a possible joint exploration with Beijing in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
President Rodrigo Duterte has proposed a "60-40" sharing deal with China on the planned joint exploration of resources.
Magdalo warned that the Philippines would be at the "losing end" if the joint exploration would push through as it would also be an issue of sovereignty.
"The joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea is not a simple issue as what the Duterte administration has been suggesting. Just because the Philippines will presumably take a larger share given the 60-40 scheme being proposed, does not guarantee that we are going to be on the winning end," Magdalo said in a statement released Thursday.
The partylist stressed that the Philippines does not have overlapping claims with China by virtue of the arbitration ruling of a United Nations-backed tribunal in 2015.
"We do not co-own the West Philippine Sea with China," it said, contradicting the earlier statement of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano that the Philippines currently co-controls sovereign rights with China as indicated in the arbitral ruling.
Manila would have to make sure that the possible joint exploration would not diminish the landmark arbitral ruling, which favored the country.
The ruling invalidated Beijing's nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea, and concluded that China violated its commitment under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Magdalo also warned that the possible joint exploration between the Philippines and China would also have implications on other claimant states.
"Whatever arrangement would arise between the Philippines and China may be used as premise for arrangements of China with other states," the partylist said.
"The Duterte administration should realize that the decision whether to pursue a joint exploration or not would define our relationship with China and our relationship with our neighboring countries as well," it added.
According to Cayetano, the Philippines is still working with China on a framework for the possible joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea.
"Joint development is one mechanism of cooperation by countries in areas in dispute and we will not be the first country to do it," Cayetano said.
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