The Communist Party of the Philippines branded the joint oil and gas development deal between China and the Philippines “a clear act of treason” by the Duterte administration but acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said Sunday he saw nothing wrong with the agreement. “The signing and approval of the memorandum under the direction of Duterte is a clear act of treason, a blatant betrayal of the sovereign rights and national patrimony of the Philippines and the Filipino people,” CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said in a statement. “While it is still arguable that the memorandum is still merely an ‘agreement to agree,’ the Philippines and the Filipino people must effectively reject the memorandum,” he said, because it ignores the country’s legal victory in its arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016.

Mariano, N., Requejo, R. E., & Araneta, M. R. (2018, November 26). China oil deal hit, praised: Joma: A clear act of treason; Carpio: Booster of PH sea claim. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.