Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal earlier revealed that China had earned naming rights to five undersea features in what used to be called Benham Rise, a 13-million-hectare submerged continental shelf off Aurora province declared by the United Nations as part of Philippine territory in 2012. President Duterte renamed Benham the Philippine Rise last year after Chinese research ships were spotted in the area. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) approved the Chinese names last year, Batongbacal said.

Lee-Brago, P. (2018, February 16). Phl to give Rise undersea features Filipino names. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 7.