Teodoro Locsin Jr.鈥擬ALACA脩ANG PHOTO
The negotiations for the planned joint oil exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (蜜桃工作室) have been completely terminated upon instructions of President Duterte, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on Thursday.
鈥淭he President had spoken. I carried out his instructions to the letter: oil and gas discussions are terminated completely. Nothing is pending; everything is over,鈥� Locsin said in his speech during the 124th founding anniversary celebration of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
鈥淭hree years on and we had not achieved our objective of developing oil and gas resources so critical for the Philippines鈥攂ut not at the price of sovereignty; not even a particle of it,鈥� he added.
According to the country鈥檚 top diplomat, just because the two countries 鈥渉ave differences does not mean we have to fight over everything.鈥�
In that spirit, Locsin said he tried for three years to come to an agreement to facilitate exploration for and exploitation of oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea.
鈥淲e got as far as it is constitutionally possible to go. One step forward from where we stood on the edge of the abyss is a drop into constitutional crisis,鈥� he said.
鈥楴ot an option鈥�
鈥淭hat explains the sudden pull-back on my part which unraveled three years of sincere hard work on the part of (Chinese Foreign Minister) Wang Yi and me. We had both tried to go as far as we could鈥攚ithout renouncing China鈥檚 aspiration on his part; and constitutional limitations on my part. I shut down shop completely,鈥� Locsin said.
He said it remains with the new administration to protect the country鈥檚 sovereignty 鈥渁ll the way to the wire.鈥�
鈥淪urrender of any portion of Philippine sovereignty is not an option. Not for love; not for money,鈥� Locsin said.
In April, the Department of Energy (DOE) ordered the suspension of oil exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea.
The order came a month after President Duterte, during a public address, said the country had no choice but to abide by a supposed joint exploration deal with Beijing to avoid conflict, and that someone 鈥渇rom China鈥� had reminded him of this upon learning of other companies鈥� planned activities in the area.
Mr. Duterte added that the same person also warned him that Beijing would send soldiers to the West Philippine Sea should he deploy the military there.
Intimidation
The DOE order effectively stopped 鈥渁ll exploration activities鈥� for Service Contracts 72 and 75鈥攖wo sites off Palawan province earlier identified by the government as possible areas of joint energy exploration with Beijing鈥攑ending a go-signal from the Security, Justice and Peace Coordinating Cluster which cited 鈥渢he political, diplomatic and national security implications of any activity in the West Philippine Sea.鈥�
As a result, PXP Energy Corp. and its subsidiary Forum Energy Ltd.鈥攚hich had been hired by the government to conduct exploration activities鈥攈ad to declare a force majeure, saying the order prevented them from 鈥減erforming their obligations.鈥�
China has been known to intimidate South China Sea claimants conducting energy exploration activities to pressure them into accepting joint development deals, according to critics.
On negotiations for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, Locsin said the Philippines insisted that 鈥渋t does not concede Chinese supremacy to the exclusion of other powers on a pacific footing.鈥�
鈥淭o be fair, China has never asked for that,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f her interest is harnessing the stopping power of water to stall an attack on herself, then littoral states like ours can give her ample forewarning. We have a mutual defense treaty with our only conceivable military ally,鈥� said Locsin, referring to the United States.
鈥楻etaliatory force鈥�
鈥淲e have no joint aggression pact with any power. To every intrusion we responded with protest; if it comes to it, we will answer with action,鈥� he added.
Locsin said Mr. Duterte and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had given him 鈥渢he start of a credible retaliatory force, and thereby helped me turn our foreign policy into a fist in the iron glove of the armed forces.鈥�
In upholding the rule of law, he said the country held on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award, which he called the 鈥渢win anchors鈥� of the Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
鈥淲ithout the rule of law, none can thrive nor long survive the resulting anarchy. And no鈥攖he game of anarchy does not always go to the strongest. The weaker can strike up an alliance with a yet stronger鈥攖o keep the bone of contention for itself or deny it to all,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut let me say one thing: we have not surrendered a single inch of territory or a drop of our waters. Not by word or deed have we weakened our right to everything in the West Philippine Sea.
Without inviting pity by asking, we achieved an international consensus that right is with us and might cannot ever take it away. In the 21st century, the first incontestable and most significant victory at sea is Filipino,鈥� Locsin said.