Palace: Release of documents on oil deal with China ‘premature’

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER file photo

Malacañang described as “premature” the call of Senators Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV to release the draft of the oil and gas exploration deal with China before signing it.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Tuesday said the Senate “is free to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on a potential deal on oil and gas exploration with China.”

“Any demand for a release of documents pertaining thereto at this time, however, is premature and could be prejudicial to our country’s interests given that parties have yet to ink any agreement on the matter,” Panelo said in a statement.

On Monday, Pangilinan and Trillanes filed Senate Resolution 943, asking the Senate Committee on Energy to investigate the potential deals on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: Duterte asked to show oil, gas exploration deal before signing

The senators claimed that China had produced a draft deal titled “Framework Agreement on Joint Maritime Oil and Gas Exploration between China and the Philippines.”

Panelo neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such framework in his statement.

“We assure you that any agreement that we will enter into with a foreign government or entity would stand the judicial scrutiny of both countries and its constitutionality, if challenged, would be upheld,” he said.

Panelo said Malacañang respects “the Senate as an independent co-equal branch of government and welcome whatever congressional or legislative action its members may want to undertake.”

“In the same manner, we likewise expect respect from them by allowing us to do our job as we perform activities which are rightfully within the scope of executive faculty,” he said. /cbb