Only China will benefit from its Benham Rise study —solon

A progressive lawmaker on Sunday claimed that only China will benefit in its maritime scientific research in the Benham Rise (Philippine Rise) east of northern Luzon coast.

In a news release, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate condemned the "precipitous claim" of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that China's study will be beneficial to the Philippines.

"If we are to study recent history of Chinese marine studies, like the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) during the Arroyo administration, it can be seen that it is China that rakes in most of the benefits. In contrast, what we got are just useless blurry pictures in the end," Zarate said.

The lawmaker said China, in its study, was able to discover the location of rich marine resources but did not share it with the Philippines, giving the country only blurred pictures of the area.

"We have always challenged the administration of then President Gloria Arroyo to report to the people what it has gained from the JMSU, but, it has failed to do so.  The JMSU did not benefit the Philippines and was in fact challenged by Bayan Muna before the Supreme Court," he added.

On Friday, DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said his department has approved China's request that it be allowed to conduct maritime scientific research in the Benham Rise.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte gave the general direction to approve the requests from China and other countries as long as their research complied with Philippine laws and requirements.

But drawing from the experience with JMSU, Zarate said China became more aggressive after it has confirmed the presence of resources through the study.

"Unfortunately, despite China's aggressive actions, the Arroyo administration never protested even if Chinese ships aggressively cruised the seas near Palawan in 2007, even if  it was well outside the South China Sea and the JMSU area," he added.

Zarate urged the DFA not to repeat the sellout during the Arroyo administration.

"[DFA] should rescind its approval of the Benham Rise study. It is doubly tragic that the betrayal of our national patrimony and sovereignty is being repeated by the present administration in the case of Benham or Philippine Rise," he said. —Erwin Colcol/LBG, GMA News