The Department of Foreign Affairs ensured the constitutionality of the group President Rodrigo Duterte formed to craft the framework agreement for the planned joint exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said any agreement will be in accordance with the Constitution.

“We cannot come up with any agreement that is unconstitutional. That cannot be done,” Cayetano said.

“We are representing government and its framework, of course, is confined to the Philippine Constitution,” he stressed.

Last Tuesday, Cayetano said Mr. Duterte gave the go-signal to the creation of a high-level working group to craft and finalize the framework agreement.

The group is made up of representatives from the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Energy, Justice, Environment and Natural Resources and the Interior and Local Government.

The National Security Council, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Office of the Solicitor General will also be represented in the body.

Cayetano said the Malampaya gas field is estimated to run out by 2040, thus the need for the government to look for alternative source to avert an energy crisis.

He stressed the 60 to 40 share in favor of the Philippines is just the starting proposition of the Duterte administration in the planned joint exploration in the disputed part of the WPS.

The foreign affairs chief also challenged government critics, particularly former President Aquino, to present a better option instead of just criticizing the Duterte administration which only inherited the trouble in the WPS.

“What’s better, 60-40 or 0-0? Because, if we don’t get anything from there, Malampaya is running out. The recent estimates I saw was 2040 and Malampaya what 40 percent to 50 percent of power in Luzon? So can you imagine the prices of energy and power if we have to import gas?” he asked.

“So we are taking our responsibilities very seriously in providing for future Filipino generations and if there are living and non-living resources in the West Philippines Sea/South China Sea and we can come up with a framework that is win, win, win then why not?” he said.

“If not, it’s our job to preserve to make sure that the environment is not destroyed and that oil and gas is not harvested by one party unilaterally at the expense of the other claimants,” he added.

In Malampaya, the government is also taking 60-40 sharing with the private consortium conducting exploration.

Cayetano stressed that the Duterte administration has been very transparent in its dealing with China, particularly in the WPS.

Should a joint energy exploration deal push through between the Philippines and China, the bigger concern for the PH government will be security, according to Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea director Jay Batongbacal.

Batongbacal stressed a deal on joint exploration may give China legitimate grounds to send more ships to disputed areas in the WPS.

The StaffBorn at the turn of this century, the Daily Tribune immediately took hardcore stance on issues, bearing a slogan that speaks of its character.