Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Thursday the Philippines has ended negotiations with China for a joint oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Speaking during the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) Foundation Day, Locsin said, "The President had spoken. I carried out his instructions to the letter: oil and gas discussions are terminated completely. Nothing is pending; everything is over." He said both sides tried to negotiate for three years and got as far as constitutionally possible. However, another step forward would have risked a "constitutional crisis."

Ismael, J. J. (2022, June 25). PH-China oil exploration talks over. The Manila Times, pp. A1, A8.