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DOE affirms commitment to MOU with China after lifting of WPS oil exploration ban


The Philippines’ energy department on Monday affirmed its commitment to a possible joint exploration of oil and gas with China after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the ban on petroleum exploration in the West Philippine Sea.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi issued the statement after China said last Friday that it hoped it can work together with the Philippines in jointly developing energy projects in the disputed waters.

“Pinu-pursue natin. We had meetings late last year kaya nga lang po naantala po ang pagsusulong nito dahil nga po dito sa pandemic,” Cusi said at a Palace news conference.

“Tuluy-tuloy ang MOU. Itong unilateral lifting natin, this is just to give others also the chance to start operating already.”

In November 2018, the Philippines and China forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation on oil and gas development in the South China Sea, a part of which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

Months later, the two countries established an intergovernmental joint steering committee to look into a possible energy cooperation.

Last Thursday, Cusi announced that Duterte approved the Department of Energy’s recommendation to lift the suspension of petroleum activities in the West Philippine Sea, paving the way for the resumption of three projects.

The activities were suspended in 2015 as the Philippines, under then President Benigno Aquino III, pursued international arbitration of its maritime dispute with China.

In July 2016, the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated Beijing’s historic claims in the resource-rich waters and spelled out the Philippines’ sovereign rights to access offshore oil and gas fields within its exclusive economic zone.

While Beijing refused to recognize the ruling, this did not stop Duterte from pursuing warmer political and economic relations with the Asian powerhouse.

Cusi reiterated that a joint exploration does not compromise the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea as highlighted by the arbitral award.

“This lifting of moratorium is an exercise of our sovereign rights. In no way it weakens the arbitral decision,” he said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque added: “Although sovereign rights [are] defined as the exclusive right, that exclusive right may be shared by others. The decision to share it is part of the sovereign rights.”

The DOE earlier said there could be millions of barrels of oil and natural gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea.—AOL, GMA News

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