The Philippines’ proposed offers on joint oil and fuel exploration within the West Philippine Sea (WPS) should adhere to the nation’s legal guidelines, maritime legislation knowledgeable Jay Batongbacal stated Wednesday.
Batongbacal made the remarks a day after the Supreme Court (SC) declared unconstitutional the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) deal the Philippines entered with China and Vietnam beneath the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“Malinaw ngayon na hindi pwede na gagawa ka ng joint exploration na as if walang batas na applicable,” UP-IMLOS Atty. Jay Batongbacal stated.
Arroyo, for her half, stated she revered the choice of the High Court.
On Tuesday, the SC en banc voted that the JMSU was unconstitutional as a result of it allowed wholly-owned international companies to discover the nation’s pure sources.
The JMSU expired on June 30, 2008.
The JMSU is an settlement by the Philippine National Oil Company, the China National Offshore Oil Corp., and the Vietnam Oil Gas Corp. as regards oil exploration in 142,886 sq. kilometers of the South China Sea.
The SC choice got here round 18 years after Bayan Muna Party-List representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño filed a petition towards the exploration deal, assailing the constitutionality of the enterprise.
Earlier, retired SC Associate Justice Antonio Carpio stated the Court ruling units the “authorized parameters” for Manila’s “joint exploration with a foreign company clearer”. —Sundy Mae Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News
