Virginia Omoso Guazon 2 hrs · Rappler · 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 MANILA, Philippines – China's permit to conduct maritime research in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines began on Thursday, January 24, based on a document shown to Rappler. The permit allows China to gather data on the ocean circulation in the Western Pacific Ocean. It expressly bans hydrographic survey or mapping activities within Philippine maritime jurisdictions, drilling in the Philippine continental shelf, and fishing. The permit is good for a total of 33 days or until February 25. It covers the "eastern side of Luzon and Mindanao." Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said it includes Benham Rise. China's 33-day permit to survey PH's eastern seaboard begins The permit allows China to gather data on the ocean circulation in the Western Pacific, covering the 'eastern side of Luzon and Mindanao' RAPPLER.COM

PHILIPPINES China's 33-day permit to survey PH's eastern seaboard begins The permit allows China to gather data on the ocean circulation in the Western Pacific, covering the 'eastern side of Luzon and Mindanao' Carmela Fonbuena @carmelafonbuena Published 10:11 AM, January 24, 2018 Updated 11:01 AM, January 24, 2018 1 1K Twitter Reddit Email 1K CORAL-RICH. Researchers say Benham Bank is rich in corals. Photo courtesy of Dr Hildie Nacorda/UPLB-SESAM CORAL-RICH. Researchers say Benham Bank is rich in corals. Photo courtesy of Dr Hildie Nacorda/UPLB-SESAM MANILA, Philippines – China's permit to conduct maritime research in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines began on Thursday, January 24, based on a document shown to Rappler. The permit allows China to gather data on the ocean circulation in the Western Pacific Ocean. It expressly bans hydrographic survey or mapping activities within Philippine maritime jurisdictions, drilling in the Philippine continental shelf, and fishing. The permit is good for a total of 33 days or until February 25. It covers the "eastern side of Luzon and Mindanao." Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said it includes Benham Rise. The 4-page document was titled "Consent to Conduct Marine Scientific Research (MSR) in Areas Under the National Jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines." DFA granted the permit to the Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IO-CAS), which will conduct the study in tandem with Filipino scientists from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI). The Filipino scientists should be given "unrestricted access" to all areas in the vessel and to equipment. The Philippines also reserves the right to suspend the research project. Chinese ship arrives in PH China will use the survey vessel Ke Xue Hao. The ship – along with the vehicles, platforms, and installations they will use in the study – are suposed to be under the close monitoring and security supervision of the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard. The ship must also provide the Philippines regular updates on its position and situation. Ke Xue Hao is already in Philippine waters, according to Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano in a statement Tuesday night, January 23. Government critics slammed the approval of the permit. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who led the country's international case against China's "squatting" in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), called it "dumb" to allow China to explore the waters on the other side of the country. China reclaimed at least 7 maritime features in the South China Sea, including Mischief Reef inside the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. A test of China's commitment Filipino maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal initially welcomed China acquiescing to partner with Filipino scientists to join its survey. Batongbacal noted that China proceeded to conduct surveys on Benham Rise last year despite denial of its requests. The permit puts China under obligation to follow Philippine laws. Batongbacal said he hopes China will abide by the rules set by the Philippines in the permit and that it will share the results of its study with the Philippines. "They've always been submitting these applications even before 2012. They've always been denied without Filipino partners. We have yet to see if they're going to comply [with the terms of the agreement]," Batongbacal told Rappler. "It's a good way to pressure them. They've been harping on maritime cooperation," he said. China is expected to provide Philippine weather bureau PAGASA, the Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Coast Guard "real-time" and "unrestricted access to original data" on ocean circulation like sea level pressure, wind direction and speed, rainfall, and air temperature among others. China must also provide the Philippines its preliminary results, its cruise track, names of its crew, and all raw and processed data. Issue of trust But Alejano said China cannot be trusted. "China has been known for saying one thing but does another," Alejano said. Latest pronouncements from Malacañang also made Batongbacal "feeling a little less welcoming" to China's maritime research. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said China was allowed to do the research because it's the only country that can do it. Batongbacal slammed Malacañang's ignorance of what Filipino scientists have achieved. "For government to say that Filipinos need China to explore Benham Rise as if there is no one else that can do it is both a brazen falsehood and a disservice to the hard work and dedication, the talents and capacities, of the Filipino scientific community," he wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday night. Batongbacal said this is not the last time he expects China to seek permission to study the country's eastern seaboard. "It has a big project, up to 2020, to study the entire Western Pacific," he said. – Rappler.com Support Free and Fearless Journalism When Power insists, “you’re either with us or against us,” the space for a diversity of voices and ideas shrinks. When hate and anger are weaponized, it creates a spiral of silence. When critical questions are simplistically equated with an anti-government agenda, it requires courage to hold decision-makers accountable. 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READ MORE CAMPAIGN RUNNING FOR 4 MONTHS : 8 DAYS : 14 HOURS : 25 MINS P2,218,889 P5,000,000 44% OF GOAL SUPPORT Filed under:Benham RiseChinaGary AlejanoInstitute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of SciencesJay BatongbacalPhilippinesUniversity of the Philippines Marine Science InstituteMarine Scientific Research 1 Show Comment PHILIPPINES Malacañang says Filipinos need China for Benham Rise research Filipinos alone can't conduct research in the resource-rich underwater plateau because they don't have the needed capital, says Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Pia Ranada @piaranada Published 1:16 PM, January 23, 2018 Updated 1:16 PM, January 23, 2018 7 5K Twitter Reddit Email 5K SOVEREIGN RIGHTS. This photo shows Filipinos exploring Benham Rise for the first time in 2014. File photo courtesy of Dr Gil Jacinto/UP-MSI SOVEREIGN RIGHTS. This photo shows Filipinos exploring Benham Rise for the first time in 2014. File photo courtesy of Dr Gil Jacinto/UP-MSI MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos can't conduct research in Benham Rise without China's help. This was how Malacañang defended the approval granted by the Philippine government to China to conduct marine scientific research in the resource-rich continental shelf east of Luzon. (FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise) Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, on Tuesday, January 23, was asked why it was necessary to approve China's request and why Filipinos could not just conduct research on their own. (READ: PH researchers explore Benham Rise) "No one can do it because, apparently, it's capital intensive," said Roque during a Malacañang press briefing. As to why it was China given permission and not other countries also capable of providing the needed funding, Roque said only China "qualified" for the initiative. (READ: DFA on Benham Rise: 'Same rules for all countries') "Because only China has qualified so far. There are other applications, unfortunately, they did not qualify according to fixed guidelines already set by the government," said Roque. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano previously said Philippine law requires that any scientific study of Benham Rise must ensure that Filipinos are on board the ships used for the study and that the findings must be shared with the Philippine government. Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, who first made public the government's approval of China's research in Benham Rise, alleged that the Department of Foreign Affairs rejected a similar application by a French organization. Alejano also said it was the Chinese Academy of Sciences that was given the approval. The institute is partly funded by the People's Republic of China. Malacañang has emphasized that while the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea gives the Philippines sovereign rights over Benham Rise, the Philippines cannot claim it as part of its national territory. However, sovereign rights means the Philippines alone has the right to explore and exploit the oil, gas and other mineral resources in Benham Rise as part of its extended continental shelf. Benham Rise, which Duterte has renamed Philippine Rise, is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau thought to be rich in minerals and gas. – Rappler.com Filed under:Chinese Academy of SciencesHarry RoqueMalacañangPhilippine RiseBenham Rise Show 7 Comments PHILIPPINES 'Benham Rise is ours,' Nene Pimentel says after PH allowed China research 'We would like to emphasize Scarborough Shoal is ours, Kalayaan shoals are ours, that Benham Rise is likewise within our exclusive economic zone,' says the former Senate president Camille Elemia @CamilleElemia Published 12:40 PM, January 23, 2018 Updated 2:44 PM, January 23, 2018 7 3K Twitter Reddit Email 3K BENHAM RISE. Former Senate president Aquilino 'Nene' Pimentel Jr says the Philippines has jurisdiction over Benham Rise. File photo by Senate PRIB BENHAM RISE. Former Senate president Aquilino 'Nene' Pimentel Jr says the Philippines has jurisdiction over Benham Rise. File photo by Senate PRIB MANILA, Philippines – Benham Rise is ours. Former Senate president Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr said the Philippines has jurisdiction over Benham Rise and other islands being contested by China, including Scarborough Shoal and the Kalayaan Group of Islands. Pimentel, founder of President Rodrigo Duterte's party PDP-Laban, was speaking at the second Senate hearing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on Tuesday, January 23. "Even as discussion in this particular forum is focused on BBL, our people should not forget that if we talk about BBL, that applies to the Republic of the Philippines. We are not only talking about Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, we would like to emphasize Scarborough Shoal is ours, Kalayaan shoals are ours, that Benham Rise is likewise within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as defined by the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)," Pimentel said during the hearing. The former Senate president's statement came after the Duterte administration allowed China to conduct maritime research in Benham Rise. It was Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, an opposition lawmaker, who first revealed the information. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano later confirmed it. (READ: Lorenzana: China showed interest in PH's Benham Rise) Benham Rise is a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau off the coast of Aurora, which the Philippines fought for and won before the United Nations in 2012. (FAST FACTS: What you should know about Benham Rise) In May last year, China said the Philippines could not claim Benham Rise as its own territory. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque agreed with the statement and said on Monday, January 22, that the Philippines has "sovereign rights" and not "sovereignty" over the area. "We do not have sovereignty in the Benham Rise because what we only have in Benham Rise as part of our extended continental shelf is the right to explore and exploit the natural resources found thereat," Roque said. In recent years, China has aggressively developed maritime features in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Duterte, during the presidential campaign, vowed to defend the Philippines' maritime territory. But ties between Manila and Beijing have warmed since Duterte assumed office and he has since softened his stance on the dispute. (READ: 5 ways Duterte can defend Scarborough without going to war) – Rappler.com Filed under:Aquilino Pimentel JrBenham RiseChinaHarry RoquePhilippinesScarborough ShoalSenateSouth China SeaWest Philippine SeaNene Pimentel Show 7 Comments https://www.rappler.com/nation/194314-nene-pimentel-benham-rise-philippines-china-research