The Philippines must find a way to explore for oil and gas in the South China Sea even without a deal with China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday, emphasising his country's right to exploit energy reserves in the contested waterway.
"That's a big thing for us, that is why we need to fight and take advantage if there really is oil there," Marcos told reporters.
Talks over joint energy exploration between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea had been terminated, the previous government said in June, citing constitutional constraints and issues of sovereignty. "That's the roadblock, it is hard to see how we can resolve that. I think there might be other ways so it does not have to be G-to-G ," Marcos said.Marcos' remarks came after his foreign affairs secretary said in August Manila was open to new talks with China on oil and gas exploration and that a deal with China or any other country must comply with Philippine laws.
The Philippines relies heavily on imported fuel for its energy needs, making it vulnerable to supply shocks and rising oil prices, which have helped push up inflation to a near
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