The Philippines only enjoys the right to claim over that portion of the South China Sea as part of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but does not vest sovereign right over the area. Should we insist, it is possible that China can also claim portions of that area as part of its EEZ pointing to those islands it occupies as the starting point in demarcating that country’s EEZ. The two simply tried to focus on the resources that could be extracted with China respecting our 60-40 provision in our Constitution and this is pursuant to Deng Xiaoping’s dictum of settling disputes by setting aside the issue of sovereignty.

Kapunan, R. P. (2018, December 29). Ambivalent opposition to the joint oil exploration. Manila Standard, p. A5.