Palace: Marcos gov't to study possible joint oil, gas exploration with China

The Marcos administration will explore the possibility of joint oil and gas exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, Malacañang said Tuesday.

"Pag-aaralan po natin sa ngayon," Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said at a press briefing. 

(As of now, we will study it.)

"Ukol sa mga foreign relations natin lalong-lalo na those involving contracts, kailangan pa po ng abiso ng ating Department of Foreign Affairs," she added.

(When it comes to foreign relations, especially those involving contracts, we need the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs.) 

Cruz-Angeles responded when asked to comment on the statement of former Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao that he is hopeful that the Philippine government will consider joint oil and gas explorations with Beijing.

Liu, currently the minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said he hoped "both sides will demonstrate some kind of flexibility, without prejudicing each other's claims or their own positions" on the matter.

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.

However, due to legal constraints and sovereignty concerns, the Duterte administration terminated joint oil and gas exploration discussions with China.

China has continued its activities in the South China Sea as it refuses to honor the 2016 arbitral ruling upholding Manila's exclusive economic zone and invalidating Beijing's expansive claim in the area.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has referred to China as the Philippines' "strongest partner," even as he swore to protect national sovereignty by speaking to Beijing "with a firm voice."—VBL, GMA News