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Robredo: China must recognize PH 'ownership' before joint exploration

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/10/28/leni.jpg"/><figcaption>Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo speaks during an interview with Reuters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines October 23, 2019. Ronn Bautista, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Beijing should recognize Manila&#x27;s &quot;ownership and sovereignty&quot; over the West Philippine Sea before the 2 parties jointly explore oil and gas reserves beneath its waters, Vice President Leni Robredo said Monday.The Philippines and China in August agreed to form working groups to explore commercial oil and gas agreements in the West Philippine Sea, which falls inside Manila&#x27;s exclusive economic zone. <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gcuL_fl0RCo?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>&quot;Hindi tayo dapat pumasok sa isang kasunduan sa China until and unless i-recognize muna ng China iyong ating ownership and sovereignty over it... na atin iyon,&quot; Robredo told ANC. (We should not enter an agreement with China until and unless it recognizes our ownership and sovereignty over it... that it is ours.)China has ignored a 2016 ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated its claim to almost the entire South China Sea, a legal victory for the Philippines.President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s predecessor, Benigno &quot;Noynoy&quot; Aquino III, initiated the arbitration case. The incumbent refused to flaunt the ruling in favor of seeking closer economic and political ties with China under his foreign policy pivot.Duterte in August said he was &quot;okay&quot; with a <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/08/19/china-plan-to-split-oil-exploration-60-40-ok-with-duterte-if-ph-gets-bigger-share">60-40 split</a> of resources in the West Philippine Sea, with Manila getting the bigger share. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/25/19/60-40-resource-sharing-between-ph-china-fair-says-esperon">60-40 resource sharing between PH, China ‘fair,’ says Esperon</a></li></ul>During a visit to Moscow this month, he also asked a top oil producer in Russia, China&#x27;s ally, to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/03/19/duterte-asks-russias-top-oil-producer-to-invest-in-ph">invest in the Philippines</a>. The Constitution allows joint sharing deals as long as the Philippines is not at a disadvantage, said Robredo. &quot;Dapat hind lugi iyong Pilipinas, dapat hindi tayo nakukuhaan ng resources na should have been ours,&quot; she said.(The Philippines should not be at the losing end, we should not lose resources that should have been ours.) CHINESE INFLUX The Vice President said she was also &quot;concerned&quot; that the government did not have exact figures on the recent influx of Chinese nationals in the country. &quot;Hindi natin alam why exactly they are here for, hindi legal iyong iba o marami sa kanila. Some of them have not been paying the right taxes. We are not sure if they&#x27;re taking jobs away from Filipinos,&quot; she said. (We don&#x27;t know why exactly they are here for, some or many of there are here illegally.) The Philippines has seen a spike in the arrival of Chinese tourists and workers since Duterte came to power, with authorities suspecting many of the arrivals are working illegally in the online gambling industry.

Beijing should recognize Manila's ownership of the West Philippine Sea before the 2 parties jointly explore oil and gas reserves believed to be sitting deep beneath its waters, Vice President Leni Robredo said Monday.

Beijing should recognize Manila's ownership of the West Philippine Sea before the 2 parties jointly explore oil and gas reserves believed to be sitting deep beneath its waters, Vice President Leni Robredo said Monday.