Senator Francis Tolentino has warned the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to tread carefully when considering the revival of the joint oil exploration deal with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The senator expressed concern that the move may be a “trap” that could allow China to further fortify its presence in the area. He suggested that Senate involvement would be necessary, as any such agreement would be an extension of foreign policy. The agreement, signed in 2018 and terminated by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021, had been intended to create a framework for future partnerships between both countries in exploring oil and gas resources in the WPS. Should the agreement be revived, Tolentino recommended that the DFA be guided by a Supreme Court ruling that voided a similar collaboration between the Philippines, China, and Vietnam. He added that any agreement should declare that “both parties will undertake to explore mineral seabed resources within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone” and include recognition of the arbitral ruling, which declared Beijing’s sweeping ownership claims in the South China Sea as invalid. The DFA has announced planned discussions with China to resume the exploration, which Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said would begin in the next six weeks.
