Carpio: Gov’t must start gas exploration in Reed Bank

Retired Supreme Justice Antonio Carpio said the country should start gas exploration at Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea. as this would bring a "tremendous impact" on the country's economy.

In a television interview on Saturday, Carpio warned that the Philippines would likely need another source of gas in the future. The country may experience 12 to 14 hours of daily brownouts in Luzon once the Malampaya gas field becomes depleted, he said.

The Philippines has been sourcing out gas from the Malampaya facility since its operations in the early 2000s.

"'Pag nawala ang Malampaya, mga 12-14 hours daily brownout tayo sa Luzon, devastating yan sa economy natin. So 'yan ang pinakamalaking problema natin kasi pag walang energy, hinto lahat (When Malampaya is gone, Luzon may have 12-14 hours daily brownout and it would be devastating to the economy. That becomes our biggest problem, because without energy, everything stops)," Carpio said.

"Factories and offices will close because they cannot maintain regular hours because there's no power. So I think this is critical," he added.

Thus, Carpio urged the government to conduct a survey in the Reed Bank before the end of December this year, since "it takes 4 years to develop at the minimum, 4 years to develop the gas field, so that should be a priority," he stressed.

He said the government should connect the pipeline from Reed Bank to the Malampaya facility so the country can still use the existing pipeline to Batangas.

The Reed Bank is an energy-rich area that lies within the north-east of the Spratly Islands in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

China has been claiming the area under its so-called nine-dash line map.

The recent maritime patrols by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard revealed that the Chinese Coast Guard and other Chinese fishing vessels have been swarming the area, asserting their supposed sovereign rights over the waters.

In 2016, The Hague Tribunal invalidated Beijing's "nine-dash line doctrine" over the entire South China Sea region following an arbitration case filed by the Philippine government on 22 January 2013.

"It is important that we get the economic benefit. Once we get the gas, even if China will not recognize the Arbitral Award and even if they say 'it's ours', so long as we get the gas, panalo tayo. That's the bottom line," Carpio said.

"That's the situation in Malaysia. Even if China did not recognize the Malaysian claim over the area, but they got the gas so they remained quiet. The same with Indonesia. Even if China asserts it is illegal and unlawful, the bottom line is — the exclusive economic zone is ours. We don't need the consent of China to get the gas," he added.

The Philippines, he added, should not beg for the permission of China to get the gas at Reed Bank.

"The first obligation and duty of State is to maintain a credible self-defense. That's what Malaysia and Indonesia are doing now," said Carpio.