Gloria ally seeks to pin down JDV in ‘sellout’ of RP territory

March 5, 2008

REP. Luis Villafuerte, president of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, the political party of President Arroyo, unwittingly dragged her into the investigation into the controversial “Spratly deal” in his effort to pin down former Speaker Jose de Venecia for his role in alleged anomalous transactions with China.

Villafuerte (Camarines Sur) on Tuesday night moved that the House investigate De Venecia’s role in the deal which reportedly allows China to explore the territorial waters of the Philippines in exchange for deals such as the $329 million national broadband network project and the $500 million NorthRail project.

“He’s the one who said he brokered this particular agreement in many statements and press release. He was proud of this agreement,” Villafuerte told the plenary.

Villafuerte merely amended the motion of Rep. Roilo Golez (Ind., Parañaque), spokesman for the minority bloc, who called for a House probe into the Spratly deal which he said poses a great risk to the country’s sovereignty.

During interpellation, Golez advised Villafuerte to carefully reconsider his motion “because we still don’t know where this will lead to.”

Golez was obviously warning Villafuerte against implicating the President.

In his privilege speech, Golez said the Spratlys is believed to contain oil reserves of around 200 billion barrels which at present oil price level would translate to around $20 trillion.

“The Spratlys have long been considered a resource-rich area and Philippine claims must be zealously defended,” he said.

Golez said Congress should investigate the “sudden emergence of China as a preferred mega lender-investor in the Philippines.”

Detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has already filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the Spratly deal which he claimed was entered into by the Arroyo administration with China in exchange for the “dirty loans.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) signed on Sept. 1, 2004 with China “does not impinge on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines.”

The DFA called the JMSU “a landmark agreement that affirms the political commitment of three claimant states (the Philippines, China and Vietnam which later signed up) to approach their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and constructive manner.”

The JMSU is said to be the precursor of the secret Spratly deal. The Arroyo administration has rejected calls for the disclosure of the text of the JMSU and its annexes.

SEPARATE BILLS

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal joined Trillanes in filing separate bills seeking to investigate the Spratly deal.

Aside from the Blue Ribbon, secondary panels set to investigate the deal are the committees on national defense and security and on environment and natural resources.

Madrigal, in Resolution 315, seeks that the Senate as a committee of the whole investigate the “treacherous act.”

Lacson, in Resolution 319, wants the committee on national defense to find out why the Philippine government is allowing China to conduct a joint marine seismic undertaking in the South China sea.

The two resolutions were referred Wednesday night to the Blue Ribbon and the committees on national defense and security and on environment.

The bilateral agreement between China and the Philippines, through China National Offshore Oil Corp. and the Philippine National Oil Corp., was signed in September 2004.

Then Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez objected to the agreement on the ground that the area of undertaking was within the Philippine 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

A similar objection was raised by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam also voiced a similar concern saying the agreement was concluded without consultation with other Asean member countries contesting the Spratly Islands.

Vietnam only calmed down after six months of “struggle” and when its PetroVietnam joined the pact on March 2005. – Wendell Vigilia and JP Lopez

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