The Philippine government should press China into agreeing that they enter into joint exploration of the oil-rich South China Sea without mentioning the United Nations (UN) arbitration court decision that China's historical claim over the area claimed by the Philippines has no basis. This was stressed yesterday by Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II during a public hearing by a Senate finance subcommittee chaired by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on the military's proposed 2017 P68 billion budget presented by Defense Secretary Delfin M. Lorenzana. But the proposed joint exploration should first be offered to Shell or Exxon oil companies with an assured protection from the US which has a military treaty with the Philippine, Honasan, a former Army colonel, said.

Casayuran, M. B., (2016, October 12). Joint exploration of oil-rich sea with China Proposed. Manila Bulletin, p. 4.