The framework for the proposed joint exploration hunt for oil and gas deposits with China in the West Philippine Sea will not be "harmful" to the country's territorial and sovereign rights, Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano assured the public. In a press briefing last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs chief said President Rodrigo Duterte has already approved the creation of a legal team to study the legalities of the expected exploration. The working group for the Philippines-China deal will be composed of experts from the Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Office of the Solicitor General, various oil and gas experts, constitutional law authorities, and professionals knowledgeable in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Mariano, N. (2018, August 13). Exploration with China not ‘harmful’ — Cayetano. Manila Standard, p. A3.