THE government is leaving it up to the next administration to decide whether or not to pursue oil exploration projects in the West Philippine Sea, including in the waters off Palawan that the government earlier halted following pressure from China.
“The President said we’ll just leave it to the next administration of what they will do with that exploration,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, replying to questions of why the administration stopped the efforts to explore oil in the country’s maritime waters.
Lorenzana was at the Asean Defense and Security (ADAS) which opened at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on Wednesday.
On April 6, the Department of Energy halted its exploration activities in the waters of Palawan before asking the Security, Justice and Peace Coordinating Cluster (SJPCC) weeks later to allow the resumption of its activities.
Earlier, acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said the exploration activities covering Service Contracts 72 and 75 in Palawan were temporarily stopped because of the SJPCC’s decision.
Asked why the energy department was asking for clearance for the resumption of the activities, Lorenzana said it’s because they are uncertain of what will happen if the oil explorations, which are unilateral, continue.
“We do not know what will happen there. That oil exploration is already long. Even the President is wondering why it waited for a last minute before it was pushed through,” the defense secretary said.
“The moratorium was lifted in 2020, and why is it only now?” he asked aloud.
The defense chief admitted that they halted the activities because they expected Beijing to protest, as the initiative was unilateral, despite the existence of an earlier agreement between the two countries for a joint exploration.
“We discussed it at the SJPCC and we think that we will be facing some problems there, objections of Chinese because this is a unilateral [activity],” he said.
“It’s only us, they were not included, and there was this agreement that was signed between the Philippines and China before that it was joint, joint exploration. Now, it is unilateral,” he added.
Lorenzana said the government was just avoiding conflict in the West Philippine Sea.