Around a year ago, the obscure Benham Rise was catapulted to the center of national discourse, when Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed the suspicious presence of Chinese vessels within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Philippine Sea. Back then, the defense chief raised concerns over the possible military dimension of China’s presence in the area. Lorenzana’s misgivings unleashed a nationwide discourse on how the country should respond to the issue, since China, unlike in the West Philippine Sea, wasn’t claiming the Benham Rise per se. Not to mention, under President Rodrigo Duterte, we have been pursuing rapprochement with the Asian juggernaut, which has offered billions of dollars in infrastructure investment deals.

5 key facts on Benham Rise . (2018, February 6). Daily Guardian, p. 5.