NO MALAMPAYA SHARE FOR PALAWAN: The Malampaya Natural Gas Project offshore Palawan (File photo courtesy of Shell Philippines Exploration BV)
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez is keeping mum on the recent decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to deny the province its claim to an estimated PHP120-billion Malampaya gas share.
Caesar Sammy Magbanua, the province’s acting information officer, said Wednesday night that Alvarez wants to read the full content of the SC unanimous ruling first before he issues any statement.
To date, Magbanua said the province has not received any official release from the high tribunal although the decision already came out in the media.
He said that although they were “slightly surprised,” the governor’s development initiatives at the outset never really relied on the Malampaya gas royalty.
“Ang sabi ni governor ay gusto niya munang mabasa ang kabuuan nang sinasabi ng desisyon bago mag-comment ang probinsya at gumawa ng susunod na steps. Medyo nagulat din siya kasi nga unanimous ang vote na ang ibig sabihin, ayaw talaga ng gobyerno na bigyan tayo ng share (The governor said he wants to read the full content of the decision before the province issues any comment and makes any step. He was slightly surprised because the vote was unanimous which means the national government does not want to give us share),” Magbanua said.
Magbanua further said the governor’s leadership has constantly cautioned expectations on the Malampaya share, telling Palaweños to help in working hard for development even without the 40 percent share.
"Even before, he has already been saying not to depend on the share from the Malampaya,” he pointed out.
Board member Winston Arzaga cannot help but express frustration over the SC decision to deny Palawan its royalty, which is based on Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991.
He said the ruling already “stole Palawan’s future” since it clearly has a right to the PHP120 billion estimated royalty.
“It is a very frustrating and sad day for all Palaweños -- it seems that they stole a big part of Palawan. Also, parang kinuha na rin nila ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kababayan. But our governor will find legal actions… pero nakakapanlumong balita ‘to sa ating lahat (Also, they took away the future of the Palaweños. But our governor will find legal actions… but it’s sad news for all of us),” Arzaga said.
Board member Albert Rama, on the other hand, said provincial government leaders and all concerned national government offices should sit down again to discuss a fair decision for Palawan.
"Medyo may effect din ang decision kasi nga ini-expect rin ng marami ang gas share to fuel Palawan's economic development. Sana umupo ulit at pag-usapan kasi baka meron namang fair na decision (The decision has an effect on Palawan’s development because people are expecting the share to fuel its economic development. They should sit down again to discuss this so that a fair decision can be generated),” Rama said.
The Malampaya case started in 2006 during the presidency of House Speaker Gloria Macapal-Arroyo.
Arroyo’s leadership claimed then that the province was not entitled to receive a 40-percent royalty since the offshore gas field is outside its jurisdiction.
Malampaya is being operated by the joint venture of Shell Philippines Exploration BV, Chevron Malampaya LLC, and Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC).
The deep water gas-condensate reservoir is located in the Service Contract 38 license area, 65 kilometers northwest of Palawan. (PNA)
