MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government’s lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea is an exercise of the country’s sovereign rights over the disputed territory, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Monday. In a televised Palace press briefing, Cusi said that the lifting of the ban does not weaken the country’s position in the maritime dispute. ADVERTISEMENT“This lifting of the moratorium is an exercise of our sovereign rights. Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque also defended the agreement, saying: “Although sovereign rights is define as an exclusive right, that exclusive right may be shared by others. ADVERTISEMENT“In fact, we had meetings late last year kaya lang po naantala ang pagsusulong nito dahil nga po sa pandemic,” Cusi said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 19, 2020 06:33 UTC