RP-China Spratlys survey does not violate int’l pact--Romulo

Updated 06:14pm (Mla time) Sept 18, 2004
By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer News Service


FOREIGN Secretary Alberto Romulo disputed allegations that the undertaking between the Philippines and China to conduct a seismic survey around the disputed Spratly Islands violated a 2002 declaration on the conduct of claimants in the South China Sea.

“[T]here was no agreement that touched on petroleum, oil or exploration,” Romulo said when asked during the Manila Overseas Press Club on Friday night if the Philippines violated the declaration.

Vietnam had questioned the agreement between the Philippines and China and accused the two countries of deviating from the November 2002 agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to avoid any activities that may heighten tension in the South China Sea.

Romulo stressed that the three-year, $7-million project entailed only a joint marine seismic undertaking in some areas in the South China Sea.

“There is no exploration; certainly there’s no development,” he said.

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Meanwhile, Romulo clarified that the Philippines and China did not enter into any deal for the exploration and development of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

"What will be done in the joint marine seismic undertaking is just research. There is no exploration and certainly there is no development," he said.

Romulo was reacting to a report that the Philippine National Oil Co. and its Chinese counterpart, the China National Offshore Oil Corp., agreed to conduct a $7.5-million marine seismic study to determine oil and gas resources in the Spratlys.

But Romulo said Manila and Beijing never had any "agreement that touched on petroleum or oil exploration" to avoid any conflict with the other claimant-countries.

He pointed out no nation would like to enter into a deal with any claimant to the Spratly Islands in order to have continued confidence building.

Romulo said the research or survey of the Spratlys’ structure was different from actual exploration and that senior officials of the claimant-countries’ foreign affairs departments will discuss the issue in an ongoing meeting in Manila.

"We needed to get together so that we could discuss our differences or grievances peacefully," he said.

Romulo said he did not want to preempt the results of senior officials’ meeting but insisted that the marine seismic study to be conducted by the Philippines and China was consistent with the 2002 pact between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea.

Article 6 of the pact states that "pending a comprehensive and durable settlement of the disputes, the parties concerned may explore or undertake cooperative activities."

Romulo said a third country, like Vietnam and other claimants, could participate in joint projects in the Spratlys.

PNOC president Eduardo Mañalac said the study will determine the petroleum potential of the area but Philippine and Chinese firms will need to apply for an exploration contract if they find oil resources and would to explore the areas further.

The Spratlys is being claimed wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl101027.htm