Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177501496918420240515-atin-ito-wps-MT-44.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A possible joint exploration of oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea by Manila and Beijing should follow the terms in the original memorandum of understanding laid out during the Duterte administration, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Wednesday.</p><p>Former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022 terminated discussions with China on exploration of oil and gas in the South China Sea.</p><p>The Philippines, under the Marcos administration, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/30/philippines-china-open-talks-on-oil-and-gas-exploration-1034">has reopened talks</a> with China regarding the exploration, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday, noting that the two countries recognized &quot;current global uncertainties, especially developments in the Middle East.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/30/palace-says-no-west-philippine-sea-compromise-in-oil-exploration-talks-with-china-1408">‘Walang ipamimigay’: Palace says no West Philippine Sea compromise in potential oil exploration with China</a></div><p>Speaking on ANC, Carpio said joint exploration of oil in parts of the West Philippine Sea could be done if the two nations follow the original terms of reference that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. signed during the last year of the Duterte administration.</p><p>The original memorandum of understanding, according to Carpio, indicated that &quot;China shall participate under the service contract system of the Philippines,&quot; which he said means the oil and gas belong to Manila.</p><p>&quot;Another provision says the contract should be governed by Philippine laws. If those are the elements of the joint exploration... that will be OK,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>&#x27;SUICIDE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>He added that a possible acceptance of China&#x27;s terms in the current talks could mean &quot;they won already because we will acknowledge that they own and oil and gas, that is the condition that they want for joint development.&quot;</p><p>&quot;That will be committing suicide. The Philippines will be committing suicide if we accept that condition,&quot; he warned.</p><p>Carpio has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0wCrcD5ouo">previously advocated</a> for exploration in Reed Bank, an underwater reef located off Palawan said to be rich in oil and gas deposits, to avert possible devastating effects on the economy of the drying up of gas in Malampaya.</p><p>The resumption of talks on joint oil exploration comes amid the oil crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran. </p><p>Carpio pointed out that a possible agreement to drill oil in the West Philippine Sea would not solve the current energy problem because it would still take years before the project could materialize.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>STIRRING UP TROUBLE?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Armed Forces of the Philippines warned Tuesday the government against partnering with China on oil and gas exploration, accusing Beijing of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/31/afp-warns-china-not-a-reliable-partner-amid-possible-oil-gas-talks-1625">not being a &quot;reliable partner.&quot;</a></p><p>The National Security Council also on Tuesday stressed that any discussion on possible joint oil and gas exploration with China must not compromise Philippine sovereignty.</p><p>“The arbitral ruling is non-negotiable, so it has to be considered in the talks,” NSC Assistant Director General Cornelio Valencia Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the National Symposium on the Law of the Sea and the West Philippine Sea in Pasig City. </p><p>Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, also on Tuesday accused China&#x27;s naval and air units of conducting &quot;illegal and escalatory patrols&quot; near Bajo de Masinloc.</p><p>Tarriela said the incident happened &quot;a day after&quot; the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea where the Philippines and China held back-to-back meetings.</p><p>In a statement posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1261622952754275&amp;set=a.184089077174340">Facebook</a>, the Chinese Embassy Manila alleged Wednesday that &quot;some forces are still trying to stir up trouble with China and destabilize bilateral relations, even hoping to cause more conflict.&quot;</p><p>&quot;What’s their game here? What are they really trying to do? Whose interests are they even representing?&quot; it asked. <strong>— with Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WjBc5koxUiY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/78x1bdRMCnM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The resumption of talks on joint oil exploration comes amid the oil crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran. </p>

The resumption of talks on joint oil exploration comes amid the oil crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Carpio: Philippines 'committing suicide' if it accepts China's oil and gas terms as talks resume

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Carpio: Philippines 'committing suicide' if it accepts China's oil and gas terms as talks resume

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 01, 2026 11:48 AM PHT

|

Updated April 01, 2026 01:48 PM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

Oil Exploration

Joint Oil Exploration

China

Philippines

South China Sea

Jay Tarriela

Antonio Carpio

Reed Bank

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