China's reclamation of Sabina Shoal to block PH gas access in Reed Bank – Carpio - video Dailymotion

The Manila Times

China's reclamation of Sabina Shoal to block PH gas access in Reed Bank – Carpio  Former Supreme Court justice and West Philippine Sea advocate Antonio Carpio says that China's reclamation activities in Sabina shoal is strategic as it would allow them to prevent the Philippines from withdrawing gas from Reed bank, an area rich in oil and gas.  Video and Interview by Ezrah Raya  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion   Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #TheManilaTimes #tmtnews #westphilippinesea  #chinacoastguard

Transcript

00:00 I'm Ezra Araya and this is the Manila Times.

00:04 China is sending a huge fleet, allegedly, to block Scarborough Shoal ahead of the Atin-Ito

00:11 civilian-led resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea, starting May 14 to 17, according

00:18 to maritime security expert Raymond Powell.

00:21 The Philippine Coast Guard has successfully averted China's latest attempts to reclaim

00:26 Sabina or Escoda Shoal, a pile of dead and crushed corals were found in the low tide

00:32 elevation.

00:33 Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tariella says this has destroyed the marine ecosystem as well

00:39 as the fishing grounds.

00:42 Here with us is former Supreme Court Justice and a staunch defender of the West Philippine

00:47 Sea, Senior Justice Antonio Carpio.

00:51 Welcome to the Manila Times, sir.

00:54 Justice, first off, over the weekend, there had been traces of reclamation by China in

00:59 Sabina or Escoda Shoal and now a blockade to obstruct the Atin-Ito civilian-led supply

01:05 mission.

01:06 Sir, is the second Atin-Ito mission pushing through?

01:13 The announcement by Atin-Ito people, I was there during the press conference, they will

01:20 sail in the exclusive economic zone.

01:24 That means they will not enter the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Pagasa.

01:29 So if they don't enter Pagasa's 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, I don't think the Chinese

01:35 will block them because they will be sailing in the exclusive economic zone.

01:41 That's good to hear, sir.

01:42 Now tell us about China's reclamation activities in Escoda Shoal.

01:46 First of all, why Sabina Shoal?

01:49 Sabina Shoal is one of the two closest shoals to Reed Bank because Reed Bank is really the

02:02 crown jewel because that's where the gas is located.

02:07 That's the replacement for Malampaya.

02:09 Our objective in all of this exercise is to get the gas in Reed Bank.

02:15 What they're doing is to prevent us from getting the gas in Reed Bank.

02:19 So they're warning us, "No, you cannot go there."

02:21 But plan on that end, we will have a joint patrol with the US and other countries when

02:27 we go there.

02:28 So the Chinese Coast Guard cannot drive us away.

02:34 Now to fortify, to improve the preventive measures that they will undertake, they will

02:44 put up an outpost near Reed Bank.

02:49 And there are two possible outposts, one in Escoda Shoal and the other one is in Rosal

02:56 Reef.

02:57 Rosal Reef is actually much closer to Reed Bank, but I think it's also a little bit deeper

03:04 compared to Escoda Shoal.

03:08 So that's why the piles of dead corals that our people discovered on Escoda Shoal is really

03:19 the precursor of island building.

03:23 So if they can create an island there, they have outposts, there'll be a better position

03:29 to stop us and harass us in Reed Bank.

03:33 That's very valuable information, Justice.

03:35 Thank you for that.

03:36 You've been trying to stop us from getting the oil in Reed Bank all along.

03:41 And Justice, would you know if the Philippines has started harnessing the gas in Reed Bank?

03:48 Because during the time of Duterte, he prohibited the service contractor, Forum Energy, from

03:56 surveying and drilling.

03:57 Because he said there will be war, there will be a massacre.

04:01 So he stopped us.

04:02 He didn't want to displace President Xi.

04:05 But we are really, our back is against the wall because Malampay used to supply three

04:11 of our largest gas-fired plants.

04:13 Now, it's only two.

04:15 And by the end of the year, I think it's only one.

04:17 And we are already importing LNG to replace the natural gas, and that's very expensive,

04:24 at least 50% higher in cost.

04:27 So that will be a terrible blow to the economy if we have to import all the gas requirements

04:36 of our gas-fired plants.

04:37 Because LNG now is shut up in prices because Europe is not buying from Russia, it's buying

04:44 from the rest of the world.

04:45 We're competing with Europe now.

04:48 So we must develop Reed Bank, otherwise we'll be in trouble.

04:54 So hopefully by the time, because we started our joint patrols with the US off the coast

05:01 of Palawan, it's moving now towards Reed Bank.

05:08 Because the contractor, Forum Energy, cannot just bring their survey ship there.

05:16 It takes time to prepare all those survey ships and drill ship.

05:20 So hopefully soon they will be able to bring their survey and drill ship to Reed Bank.

05:28 And that will happen at the same time there, when that happens, at the same time there

05:33 will be a joint patrol with the US by the Philippine Navy.

05:38 As you've said, Justice, it's not just about successfully preventing China from reclaiming

05:43 Sabina or Escoda Shoal.

05:45 So apart from successfully averting that, we also have to move faster and harness the

05:52 gas that's located in Reed Bank as fast as we could, since we'll also be having an energy

06:00 crisis by the end of the year, like what you said.

06:04 Justice in our past interview, you have pushed for the establishment of a permanent structure

06:10 in the West Philippine Sea.

06:11 And before you said it should be a civilian structure.

06:14 So with the current situation, would you still recommend a civilian structure or more of

06:20 a government structure?

06:24 When I say civilian, it's still government, wag lang military.

06:29 Because it can be government, but civilian.

06:30 It's like the Coast Guard, it's government, but it's a civilian in nature.

06:35 Like the PNP, that is not military, that's civilian, but government.

06:40 So we put up a lighthouse, it will be civilian, operated by the Coast Guard.

06:45 We'll have a Coast Guard substation there and a Marine Research Center operated by UP.

06:51 That's what I'm proposing.

06:52 All right.

06:53 Thank you so much for those information, Justice.

06:58 Former Supreme Court Justice and staunch defender of the West Philippine Sea, Antonio Carpio.

07:03 Maraming salamat po.

07:04 Maraming salamat rin.

07:06 Thank you.

07:12 Thank you.

07:13 Thank you.

07:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]

China's reclamation of Sabina Shoal to block PH gas access in Reed Bank – Carpio

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