Metro Manila, December 21 ------ The Philippines should not get intimidated by China and must act now by securing Reed Bank as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seeks other ways to protect the country’s territory, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said. “We should be sending our survey ship and drill ship already to Reed Bank, accompanied by our Navy. At the same time, we should be conducting joint maritime patrols with the US,” Carpio told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
He said it was the same strategy that Malaysia and Indonesia did to get gas in their exclusive economic zone (EEZ) despite threats from China. “We don’t need China to recognize our EEZ. As long as we get our natural resources in our EEZ, then we are winning,” Carpio pointed out. Also called Recto Bank, the Reed Bank reportedly holds the most oil and gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea. The 2016 arbitral ruling declared it as part of Manila's 200-nautical mile EEZ, meaning the Philippines has the sole right to exploit resources in the area. But China has refused to recognize the arbitral ruling.
Marcos on Tuesday said the Philippines needs a “paradigm shift” in dealing with China’s increasing aggression in the West Philippine Sea as Manila’s diplomatic protests are going “in a poor direction.” Asked about the president’s statement, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar told CNN Philippines' New Day: “When you talk about paradigm shift it's about a change in the way we look at things and at the same time the way we do things also. So, probably a change in a way that will enable us to achieve the desired result as far as China’s behavior is concerned.”
While they support diplomatic means, Aguilar said the AFP is always ready to implement what the government decides to do when it comes to addressing China's aggression. Carpio noted that while diplomatic protests preserve the country’s legal rights, these are not enough to ensure that the Philippines will have access to its natural resources, and the country needs to secure the area to establish its rights. Developing the Recto Bank is also important for the Philippines as supply from the Malampaya gas field is expected to dry out in two to three years, Carpio added. “The flow of gas is very weak. Instead of supplying three of our largest gas-fired plants in Luzon, Malampaya supplies only two… We have to import LNG (liquefied natural gas) which is very costly,” he explained.
Carpio said the Reed Bank is two to three times larger than Malampaya, so it is a good source of gas for at least 60 years. To protect the Reed Bank, he said the Philippines should build a monitoring station on the Ayungin Shoal which is the gateway to the area. He also pointed out that if the country is unable to secure the Reed Bank, importing LNG will continue which will push power rates up by at least 50% and will also increase inflation.
Carpio said a service contract was already issued to Forum Energy, a British oil and gas company where businessman Manuel Pangilinan owns a controlling stake of 79.13%. “There is already a concession that has been awarded over Reed Bank so it’s just a matter of implementing,” he said. Carpio said the company has indicated its willingness to go to Recto Bank to survey and drill, but they need protection from the Philippine government or else they will be shoved away by the China Coast Guard. Marcos has said the government is working to resolve “exploration issues” in the West Philippine Sea so the Philippines could start new joint exploration projects in the area before the depletion of Malampaya.
Source: cnnphilippines.com
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