Senator Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, said Sunday that the government should be cautious when it resumes talks with China on possible joint gas and oil exploration agreement.

In an interview with dzBB Sunday, Tolentino said that when the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) meets China about the agreement, it should consider the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the Supreme Court’s decision to declare a similar joint energy exploration in 2005 illegal.

“If the Department of Foreign Affairs finds a way, this ( EEZ and SC decision) would comply with our Constitution. We will be the ones to control the exploration. We will be the ones to supervise. And they should comply with our law's 60-40 share,” Tolentino said.

“If it is established in the agreement that there is a recognition of the (2016) arbitral ruling and exclusive economic zone, that’s good. If the agreement says we will be the one to supervise and we will have a bigger share, that’s great. But in my opinion, we should think carefully about this because this could be a trap,” he added.

Tolentino expressed fears that China could use the joint exploration venture as an excuse to increase the presence of their vessels in Philippine waters.

“Maybe they will continue to abuse their power and increase their presence there (in the West Philippine Sea). Then, previous mistakes would be legitimized,” he said.

Tolentino said since the exploration deal is like an extension of foreign policy, the Senate should also be involved.

An arbitration ruling of the Hague in 2016 states that the Philippines has sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and has jurisdiction over 200 nautical miles of the exclusive economic zone. China does not acknowledge this ruling. Jaspearl Tan/DMS