As the Duterte administration appears determined to pursue joint development in the West Philippine Sea with China, some lawmakers have warned that such arrangement could have constitutional ramifications. House constitutional amendments committee chair Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the agreement is unconstitutional as Beijing refuses to recognize the sovereign rights of the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea. “We have to insist on China’s recognition of our sovereign rights on the WPS, which is within our 200-mile exclusive economic zone. If China will not recognize it, then the joint exploration deal will be unconstitutional,” he explained to The STAR.

Punay, E., & Lee-Brago, P. (2019, October 30). 'WPS joint exploration may be unconstitutional'. The Philippine Star, p. 6.