Fool us twice, shame on us

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EDITORIAL
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February 4, 2018
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ON MARCH 13, 2017, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise as part its own despite it being part of the country’s extended continental shelf. It conveniently ignored the fact that the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has approved the Philippines’ submission in 2009 claiming Benham Rise as part of our extended continental shelf, over which it exercises sovereign rights.

Paragraph 1, Article 77 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides that a state has sovereign rights over its continental shelf for the purpose of “exploring it and exploiting its natural resources.” UNCLOS also states: “The rights referred to in paragraph 1 are exclusive in the sense that if the coastal State does not explore the continental shelf or exploit its natural resources, no one may undertake these activities without the express consent of the coastal State.”

Despite China’s adverse view on Benham Rise, the government allowed it to conduct maritime research in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines starting Jan. 24. But weeks before that, various groups already aired apprehension and opposition as it appears to be a repeat of China’s modus operandi in 2005 under the Arroyo-era Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) that jeopardized our claims in the Recto Reed Bank.

Under the JMSU, China was able to discover and confirm enormous reserves of natural gas in Recto Reed Bank, where one field already holds about 2.7-3.4 trillion cubic feet of the valuable resource. But it did not share this discovery with the Philippines. Now China is zealous in taking over these rich natural gas deposits as evidenced by its aggressive stance in the area, even constructing islands and placing missile systems to control the area.

Question: Why allow China to explore Benham Rise when the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources already conducted a survey of Philippine Rise between 2004-2008 and produced a highly detailed 3D digital bathymetric model that was funded by the Philippine government and done by Filipino scientists?

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has also been conducting annual fisheries research and experimental fishing expeditions in Benham Rise to determine the tuna fishery potential of its waters.

In 2014 and 2016, two oceanographic research cruises were also organized, giving the Philippines initial glimpse of the Benham Bank, the shallowest portion of Benham Rise. National government agencies and several academic institutions supported the research.

The University of the Philippines’ National Institute for Geological Sciences and UP Marine Science Institute have also been collaborating with counterpart institutions from Korea and Japan since 2016 to begin initial exploration of the seabed in Benham Rise.

In fact, the Philippines already has a deep-sea research vessel, known as BRP Gregorio Velasquez, that can conduct its own study.

Contrary to the claims of the current administration, the Philippines does not have to rely on China to study Benham Rise. However, any joint exploration with China must protect the interest of Filipinos and should contribute to the country’s economic development.  It must also recognize our territorial integrity and sovereign rights over our established claims and territory. There must be no repeat of the highly unequal Arroyo-era JMSU.
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