Duterte approves experts group for joint exploration by Philippines and China of South China Sea

August 7, 2018

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday said resident Rodrigo Duterte has approved his proposal to form an experts group from the government, academe and private sector that will examine  the legality and other aspects of a proposed joint exploration between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

The joint working group,  will be comprised of government officials from the departments of foreign affairs, defense, energy, environment, justice,  and the Office of the Solicitor General, as well as academic experts on international law and oil and gas and private individuals with expertise on commericial energy ventures.

"Our job is to put a framework acceptable to both the Philippines and China," Cayetano said. He added the Philippines and China will produce a draft within August or  September.

"The challenge for us is to draft a framework that the Supreme Court will have an easy time saying it’s constitutional," he said.

"If both sides have working groups at least we can talk," Cayetano told a press conference. "If we can agree at least we can start talking."

A legal team, Cayetano said, will advise the government and help negotiate any possible energy deal with China.

"They will have three components - oil and gas, constitutional law and UNCLOS experts," Cayetano said.

Before joint exploration could move forward, Cayetano said both sides must temporarily set aside contentious issues.

"We have to put aside territorial and sovereign rights claims but not abandon them," he said. DMS