MANILA (Updated) -- “Benham Rise belongs to the Filipino people and the Philippines.”
This was the strong message of Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Tuesday, after the Chinese Foreign Ministry recently said the Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise as its own territory.
Benham Rise officially became part of the Philippines in 2012 when the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf ruled that under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the undersea landmass was contiguous with the country's continental shelf and hence, fell under its exclusive economic zone.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry explained the ruling of the UN tribunal enables the Philippines to carry out exploration and development of natural resources in Benham Rise, but said "it does not mean the Philippines can take it as its own territory."
Abella said the Philippines' claim over the Benham Rise is supported by Article 77 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
For his part, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, author of the Senate bill creating the Benham Rise Development Authority (BRDA), urged the government to assert the country's sovereignty over Benham Rise
"Benham Rise is undisputedly part of Philippine territory. We have the exclusive rights to explore and exploit its natural resources," Angara said.
Angara said the government should accelerate the development of Benham Rise as potential rich source of alternative energy, marine resources, and tourism destination.
"It's been five years since the UN approved our territorial claim, and yet Benham Rise remains largely unexplored. There is a pressing need to scale up and sustain the scientific study and exploration of the undersea region in light of such unauthorized foreign incursion in our territory," Angara added.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the military will increase its presence in the undersea region following the alleged "innocent passage" of a Chinese ship in the area.
Diplomatic talks
Abella said that the Duterte administration would continue to pursue diplomatic talks with the Chinese government on the issue.
"First and foremost, Benham Rise belongs to the Filipino people and the Philippines. The Philippine government is duty-bound to defend and protect our sovereign and territorial right over this region," he added.
"Other countries can exercise innocent passage and territorial navigation. But they are disallowed to stay and establish any structure in the area… The Philippines has the responsibility to oversee and regulate the sailing ships of other countries that pass with the waters around Benham Rise," Abella said.
Benham Rise, a 13-million-hectare undersea plateau off the coast of Aurora province, is touted to have vast natural gas deposits and mineral resources.
Estimated to be a much larger landmass than Luzon, it is a natural breeding ground and habitat for several marine species--making it a prime fishing spot.
On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte shrugged off the reported presence of China survey ship in Benham Rise, saying that there is no need to fight about ownership and sovereignty.
During the National Security meeting last Monday night at the Palace, Abella said Duterte expressed his full support to improve law enforcement agencies' capabilities in monitoring Philippine airspace and territorial waters, including the West Philippine Sea.
Duterte had reiterated that he would not invoke the Philippines' sovereign rights to the contested South China Sea, saying that his administration is not ready to fight with China.
An arbitral tribunal based in The Hague had ruled in favor of the Philippines' claim in the South China Sea, citing that China has no legal right over the disputed waters
Duterte said he wants to first establish an enhanced ties with China but added that time would come for him to "insist" the international ruling.
"Let's not fight about ownership or sovereignty at this time because things are going great for my country," he said. (VoxPop Philippines)
