There's a standing order from the President, says Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Duterte bans PH from joint maritime drills in South China Sea
joint maritime drills in the South China Sea“President Rodrigo Duterte has a standing order to us, to me, that we should not involve ourselves in naval exercises in the South China Sea, except our national waters, the 12 mile distance from our shores,” Lorenzana said in a press briefing broadcast from Camp Aguinaldo.
According to Lorenzana, Duterte gave the order to keep the Navy and the country safe just in case violence breaks out amidJoint maritime drills are exercises done by the Philippines with its allies to show their united presence in the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by several Southeast Asian countries and China.
With the order, Duterte is further waiving the Philippines' assertion over the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea which belongs to the Philippines. The West Philippine Sea is rich in marine life, oil, and gas, and is a strategic territory for the country, given the high volume of naval traffic in the area.
Under the Duterte administration, the Philippines has been eyeing to strike a deal with China for joint oil and gas exploration in the Philippines'
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