Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza on Tuesday said he supports a 60-40 joint exploration agreement with China in the West Philippine Sea instead of going to war against the Asian superpower. “We fully support and appreciate President Duterte’s plan to forge a 60-40 sharing agreement with China for the joint exploration of the [West Philippine Sea], rather than risk going to war with our superpower neighbor," Atienza said in a statement. Atienza said that unlike the Benham Rise, which was declared by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as part of Philippine territory, islands in the West Philippine Sea are being contested.

Lawmaker says joint 60-40 sea exploration with China a 'win-win'. (2018, May 2). The Daily Guardian, p. 10.