An opposition lawmaker on Tuesday backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s move for a joint exploration agreement with China in the South China Sea.
“We fully support and appreciate President Duterte’s plan to forge a 60-40 sharing agreement with China for the joint exploration of the South China Sea, rather than risk going to war with our superpower neighbor,” Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, a senior deputy minority leader, said.
Unlike the Benham Rise—which was undisputed and duly declared by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as part of Philippine territory—the islands in the South China Sea are still being contested with long-standing claims not just by the Philippines and China, but by a host of other countries as well, among them Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam,” Atienza added.
Atienza added that during his stint as Environment secretary, he led the team that prepared the comprehensive study and identified the territorial boundaries of the country’s claim on Benham Rise and presented this to the United Nations, which subsequently approved the country’s claim and declared it as part of Philippine territory.
“The islands in the South China Sea, on the other hand, are being contested by the Philippines and six other countries. For any country to force its claim on these would mean war. Can we defend our claim against all other comers? The Benham Rise, on the other hand, is clearly and definitely ours, no ifs, no buts,” Atienza said.
Atienza said President Duterte’s position for the joint exploration is a win-win situation and is expected to benefit both countries economically from whatever is discovered and developed in the area.
“If we listen to hotheaded politicians and naysayers, then we would all end up with nothing. Sometimes emotionalism is not the best and cannot provide any real and tangible benefits for our country. Can they guarantee any beneficial effects if we go up against our superpower neighbor?” Atienza said.
“We fully support the President on this and we believe this is the best solution for everyone,” he added.