While the Philippines is desperately seeking all available solutions to the oil crisis, including President Bongbong Marcos’ move to repair our damaged relations with China in order to explore the idea of joint oil exploration in the South China Sea, and Mr. Ramon Ang’s successful purchase of 2.48 million barrels of crude oil from Russia, certain individuals are still pushing to drive a wedge between China and the Philippines.
One such t*** is lawyer Antonio Carpio.
Carpio said last Wednesday that the country would be “committing suicide” if the government entered into oil and gas explorations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with China.
He said: “For the Chinese, joint development means they own the oil and gas. But out of friendship, they allow other countries to participate in developing the gas or oil field.”
Carpio maintains that the Reed Bank, where the joint exploration would focus, is within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines and that the Constitution reserves the use and enjoyment of the marine resources in the EEZ exclusively for Filipino citizens.
The former Supreme Court justice said he cannot accept the condition of China that they own the oil and gas in the area, since it is against the constitution and the arbitral award. He even claimed that former President Rodrigo Duterte, through his DFA Secretary Teddyboy Locsin, completely terminated the talks on oil and gas exploration in 2022.
He said China, at the last minute, demanded two service contract provisions—to remove the phrase saying oil and gas belonged to the Philippines and that the deal would be governed by Philippine law.
Carpio must be dreaming as EEZ rights are not equivalent to sovereignty.
Also, Teddyboy Locsin himself said he worked for three years with China Foreign Minister Wang Yi to iron out details of the partnership, but constitutional hindrances in the Philippines, aside from the territorial dispute, proved insurmountable.
Critics have attacked Locsin for lack of action, or his propensity to put the devious plans of oligarchs before the greater interest of the nation. In the waning days of the Duterte administration, it appeared that Locsin was even boasting that the joint oil exploration talks with China had been “completely scrapped”. Locsin scrapped it days before Bongbong Marcos came to office, and we doubt if Digong Duterte even gave the green light.
Now despite the bad blood, the Chinese embassy led by Ambassador Jing Quan, has assured Energy Secretary Sharon Garin that China has no ban on oil export to the Philippines.
Garin, who recently met with Ambassador Jing, said Beijing has assured her that there is no ban on fuel exports from private refineries.
“In fact, as arranged, we constantly update them (Chinese embassy) on any orders that are being delivered or honored, as well as orders that might be problematic,” Garin told a press conference.
She also noted that the Chinese embassy continuously monitors the situation for any problems with suppliers in China, highlighting the ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
China earlier asked its largest oil refiners to halt new contracts for gasoline and diesel exports, citing disrupted crude shipments from the Middle East. The DOE, however, clarified that the directive does not apply to private Chinese refineries.
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