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Sotto defends PH-China joint exploration deal from critics

By Jose Cielito Reganit

November 21, 2018, 9:09 pm

MANILA -- Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday defended the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the joint exploration at the West Philippine Sea that President Rodrigo Duterte signed with China during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit in Manila.

Government critics should know the full details of the MOU first before condemning the project, he pointed out.

The joint oil and gas exploration agreement was among the 29 deals signed by the two countries during Xi’s two-day visit.

Prior to the Chinese leader’s historic visit, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano accused President Rodrigo Duterte of selling Philippine territory to China due to his policies towards the Asian superpower.

On Wednesday, Senator Risa Hontiveros released a statement alleging that Duterte failed to assert the country's sovereignty and the Constitution in the West Philippine Sea when he signed the joint maritime exploration agreement.

Hontiveros based her statement on a supposed "leaked copy" of the agreement.

She said that if the leaked document is proven to be authentic, the agreement is disadvantageous to the Philippines due to, among others, the absence of a 60-40 equity agreement and the presence of a confidentiality clause.

But Sotto said that it would be better for critics to know first the full details before making any derogatory statements.

“Mahirap naman na kaagad silang nagsasalita na hindi naman nila alam kung ano ang laman ng MOU at saka hindi nila alam kung ano yung napag-uusapan (I find it hard that they are already making remarks without even knowing the contents of the MOU and don’t know what are actually being discussed),” Sotto said in an ambush interview.

"MOU pa lang yun. Wala pang details yun. Siguro bago natin balasahin yung MOU, tingnan muna natin kung ano yung laman. Baka hindi pa natin nakikita kung ano yung laman (That’s just the MOU. It has no details yet. I think we should look at the details first before we criticize it. We might not have even seen the details),” he added.

In fact, the Senate leader said that he was privy to proposal agreed upon by President Duterte that is currently being discussed with Beijing.

“More or less it seems to be very positive, ang response na kung magkakaroon tayo ng joint exploration, 60-40. Sixty ang Philippines, forty sa China, yun yung proposal. Mukha namang acceptable (The response seems, more or less, to be very positive that there will be a 60-40 agreement if we enter into a joint exploration. 60 percent to the Philippines, 40 for China. That was the proposal and it seems it is acceptable to them),” Sotto told reporters.

He also said that critics could not claim that the government is selling the Philippines to foreign investors since the 60-40 rule is being faithfully followed in all foreign investments in the country.

“Kaya siguro, huwag tayong padalos-dalos, huwag tayong nakabintang agad ng hindi natin alam kung ano ang talagang tunay na nilalaman. Dyan nagkakaroon ng problema ang bansa natin. Hindi pa natin alam kung ano ang totoo, tira tayo ng tira (We should not be too hasty in our accusations without knowing the actual details. That is what ails our country. We don’t know yet what the truth is and yet we already complain and criticize),” Sotto said.

He likewise said that the joint exploration deal is not a threat to Philippine sovereignty but is in fact the solution to the country’s energy woes.

He pointed out that a joint exploration is necessary as the Philippines cannot explore and develop the resource-rich West Philippine Sea on its own.

“As a matter of fact, it is about time sapagka’t hindi naman natin kaya (because we cannot do it) on our own,” he said.

The Senate President even hoped that the exploration would start as early as next year.

“Hopefully, by next year. I am keeping my fingers crossed kasi because that’s the only way na solved na ang problema natin sa langis, sa petrolyo. At ang ekonomiya natin, siguradong boom. It’s about time that we did this (Hopefully, by next year. I am keeping my fingers crossed because that’s the only way that our oil and petroleum problems will be solved. Our economy will surely boom. It’s about time that we did this),” Sotto said. (PNA)

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