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By Efren L. Danao Senior
Reporter
Add one more item on the long
list of Senate inquiries—the agreement
between the Philippines and China for a joint exploration in the
South China Sea, including the disputed Spratly Islands.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson has filed
Senate Resolution 319 seeking an investigation into the agreement
signed on September 2, 2004 with China, supposedly in exchange for
$8 billion in official development assistance from that country.
Lacson said in signing the
agreement with China, the Philippines broke off from an earlier
agreement that members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) deal with China as a bloc on the South China Sea issue.
The Spratlys, believed to be
oil-rich, is a group of islands off the South China Sea that is
claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam,
China, Indonesia and Taiwan. The exploration area covers 142,886
square kilometers, one-sixth of which were described as within the
Philippine jurisdiction and not claimed by either China or Vietnam.
Lacson alleges
treason on agreement
Lacson said treason could have
been committed if Philippine officials signed the agreement for the
joint exploration in the South China Sea in exchange for loans
“attended by bribery and corruption.” Senate President Manuel
Villar supports the Senate inquiry to be conducted by the
blue-ribbon committee, or the defense or the foreign relations
committee.
“We should dig deeper into this
agreement. Why did we give China such a privilege and what did we
get in return? We broke off with other Asean countries which
normally negotiates as a bloc with China, and we should know why,”
he said.
He considers the inquiry into the
joint exploration of the Spratlys a priority undertaking of the
Senate.
“The Spratlys issue is very
important and Malacañang has much explaining to do,” Villar said.
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