The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said on Monday that the Marcos administration should completely disregard the joint exploration agreements with China and maintain Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
According to fisherfolk group’s national chairperson Fernando Hicap, President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. needs to issue a statement completely shelving the joint oil exploration and that no negotiations in connection with this matter would ever proceed.
“We attest that this joint venture will institutionalize and intensify the Chinese plunder of our marine resources. Everyone has witnessed how China blatantly disregards our legal and political rights over the West Philippine Sea amid an international ruling that invalidated its claim,” Hicap said.
“Given this situation, China allowing us to get our fair share from this joint venture is improbable,” he added.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. previously revealed that President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the termination of joint oil exploration negotiations between Manila and Beijing.
“The President has spoken. I carried out his instructions to the letter. Oil and gas discussions are terminated completely. Nothing is pending. Everything is over,” Locsin had said, noting that the goal of developing oil and gas resources was not met in the three years of talks.
Marcos, according to Hicap, should have a guiding concept on how to peacefully and diplomatically address this danger to our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We reiterate that we don’t need China or any foreign country to explore and make use of our natural resources. We have overwhelming intellectual human resources for this industry that the past administrations had chosen to neglect and de-industrialize,” he said.
China has previously stated its willingness to work with the Marcos government on joint oil and gas ventures in the West Philippine Sea.
The Department of Energy, on the other hand, stated that it is still in contact with those who currently hold service contracts about exploration efforts.
