AMID growing international concern over rising tension in the South China Sea, a Malacañang official said Thursday the Philippines would one day “thank” China for building artificial islands in the resource-rich waters.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque expressed confidence there might be a possibility the Philippines could eventually ask China to leave and assume control over its man-made islands.
But this would only happen if the Philippines would be able to ask China to leave the artificial islands it had reclaimed in the disputed sea.
“Clearly, eventually, those artificial islands will be ours, if we can ask China to leave the islands,” he added
In related developments:
• The West Philippine Sea will freeze over first before China will even begin toying with the idea of giving us back those islands, said Senator Grace Poe.
Due to this, Poe said Roque’s wishful thinking was like saying a homeowner might soon be thankful to a gang of fully armed men who unlawfully intruded his place for sometime and made it their safehouse.
She hinted that in effect, this prevented other criminals from ransacking the same.
“And this comes with false hopes that the gang members will decide to give the house back, if they have not yet transferred the title under their name,” she added.
• Senator Juan Edgardo Angara proposed the creation of a lead agency that would oversee any scientific research and exploration which would help secure the rights of the Philippines over Benham Rise.
“It would be faster and there would be more coordination in the research in Benham Rise if there’s an agency responsible for this. Moreover, it will ensure that the Filipinos would benefit from it,” Angara said.
The Philippine government took China to an international tribunal, which ruled in favor of the Philippines regarding the disputed South China sea.
But Beijing refused to take part nor acknowledge the decision.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague awarded in July 2016 to the Philippines areas in the South China Sea that lie within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone, including the Spratly Islands.
But President Rodrigo Duterte wants a peaceful resolution and even strengthened ties with China.
China says it has a historical right to much of the South China Sea and it has rapidly been reclaiming land on the disputed reefs.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said China respected the Philippines’ rights to the seafloor of the Benham Rise given to it by law.
“ The Benham Rise is part of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the Philippines. As far as we know, as agreed [on] by both China and the Philippines, the research vessel ‘Ke Xue’ of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has finished the joint maritime scientific research in waters to the east of the Philippine Islands, with four Philippine researchers on board,” the Chinese official in a statement said.
“The relevant scientific research data will be shared by relevant research institutions in China and the Philippines. I would like to point out that this joint research is carried out in waters under the Philippines’ jurisdiction, but not in the Benham Rise,” he said.
“China submitted the application for scientific expedition to the Philippines under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and that has been approved by the Philippines. China respects the Philippines’ sovereign rights to and jurisdiction over relevant waters and hopes to work with the Philippines to maintain the sound momentum of development in bilateral relations,” he added..
Angara’s Senate Bill 312, now pending in the committee of economic affairs, seeks to create the Benham Rise Development Authority that would promote and facilitate the exploration and study of Benham Rise.
“We should accelerate its development to optimize its full potential to be a rich source of alternative energy, marine resources, and as a possible tourism destination. This will spur economic activity in the area that would create jobs especially for the locals,” Angara said.
Furthermore, the BRDA will act as the official and permanent lead agency of the government in coordinating the formulation and implementation of policies, programs and strategic direction for the sustainable development of Benham Rise.
It shall also receive and administer donations, contributions and grants from foreign governments, international agencies and private entities, including ODA, to be used for such programs.
The proposed measure likewise mandates the body to advocate national policies that will foster integrated and balanced development of Benham Rise.
Under the bill, the board of directors will be composed of the Neda Director General as Chairman; BRDA Administrator, to be appointed by the President, as Vice Chairman; and as members: secretaries of DENR, DoE, DA, DoST, DoF, DoT, and three representatives from the private sector (business, academic and NGO sectors.
Benham Rise, an undersea plateau off the coast of Aurora province, is touted to have vast natural gas deposits and mineral resources, and is a natural breeding ground and habitat for several marine species.
Malacañang recently announced that while President Duterte had declared that only Filipinos could now conduct scientific research in Benham Rise, foreign entities could still reapply for licenses for future research.