By Junex Doronio
MANILA — It seems that the proverbial Solomonic solution is needed to resolve the nagging issues between the Philippines and China.
What is this Solomonic solution?
No other than the joint energy exploration in the West Philippine Sea, according to some political pundits who requested anonymity.
China had reportedly agreed on a 60-40 sharing scheme in favor of the Philippines only if Manila will set aside the landmark Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling on the South China Sea,
It has remained firm in disregarding the legality of the 2016 arbitral ruling that upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, calling the verdict was “illegal” and “invalid.”
But the Supreme Court had declared the country’s 2005-signed tripartite agreement with China and Vietnam for energy exploration in the disputed South China Sea void and unconstitutional for “allowing wholly-owned foreign corporations to participate in the exploration of the country’s natural resources.”
Political pundits told Maharlika NuMedia that in order to prevent war — which is only big business for the western powers — a constitutional amendment that would allow joint exploration is imperative.
“The Philippine side clings onto this illegal, invalid arbitral award at the expense of its relations with China. By aligning itself with the US and some other Western countries on the South China Sea issue, the Philippines joined the small circle of the West ganging up against China,” the China Embassy statement read.
“To cling to this position and the arbitral award will get the Philippines nowhere but farther and farther away from the right path,” it added.
(el Amigo/mnm)
