Carpio warns PH-China joint oil, gas explorations in WPS could be a trap

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has warned that the joint oil and gas explorations between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea could be a trap.

"Joint development is a trap because joint development means, you go to the website of China, it says joint development means China owns the gas, the oil, all the natural resources," Carpio said in an interview during a visit to Pag-asa island. 

"China has the sovereign rights. That's from the point of view of China. So why will we accept that?" he added.

Carpio visited Pag-asa Island to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Catholic church. This was his second visit, the first was 14 years ago when the Philippines was still preparing the case it would file against China's nine-dash line. 

In a report of GMA News' Raffy Tima, the Philippine Coast Guard showed Carpio the structures being built by China in Panganiban Reef which is inside the country's exclusive economic zone. They also saw Chinese maritime militia vessels in Sabina Shoal.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier said in an interview with Bloomberg that he was open to restarting discussions with Beijing on a joint energy project in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said there is no joint exploration now although such an arrangement is possible in the future to ensure energy security amid supply concerns due to the Middle East conflict

"Not at this point in time, but it may be forthcoming," she said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said discussions between the Philippines and China on possible joint oil and gas exploration have made “positive progress.”

In a message to reporters, the embassy said the two countries held “in-depth discussions” on joint development in the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and China have resumed talks under the 11th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in Fujian to discuss issues in the West Philippine Sea and negotiations on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the area, amid the conflict in the Middle East and the steep rise in the price of oil globally.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Leo M. Herrera-Lim confirmed that the two-day BCM was underway and mentioned the chance to discuss areas for cooperation for energy security in the region.

“Exploratory lang at best kung papayag sila na explore namin na mag-exchange ng views on potential values for cooperation, exchange of views on ‘yung impact ng prices sa Middle East, areas for cooperation," Herrera-Lim said.

(It is only exploratory and best if they agree that we explore to exchange views on potential values for cooperation, exchange of views on the impact of prices in the Middle East, areas for cooperation.)

Talks about a potential agreement on joint energy exploration in the South China Sea, however, remain highly sensitive due to issues of sovereignty, constitutional boundaries, and competing claims in disputed waters.

China insists on ownership of almost 90% of the South China Sea, including areas that overlap with the Philippines' and other Asian nations' territorial waters.

Manila has renamed parts of the South China Sea nearest to the Philippine archipelago the West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has not recognized the decision.—AOL, GMA News