The China National Offshore Oil Corporation will eventually set up gas pipelines from Palawan to mainland China once the potential reserves of 3.3 trillion cubic meters of gas is confirmed in the ongoing gas exploration, according to the militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya or National Alliance of Small Fisherfolk Organizations).
BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 8, March 30-April 5, 2008
The China National Offshore Oil Corporation will eventually set up gas pipelines from Palawan to mainland China once the potential reserves of 3.3 trillion cubic meters of gas is confirmed in the ongoing gas exploration, according to the militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya or National Alliance of Small Fisherfolk Organizations).
Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said the setting up of gas pipelines from Palawan to China will be the next big thing to happen under the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) since the transfer of gas can only be done through the construction of gas pipelines like in the case of the Malampaya gas pipeline project.
“That’s the next logical chapter of this highly detestable agreement between RP and China. China will put up its pipelines to complete the loot, and the Malacañang will just beg for alms in the form of taxes and other duties,” Hicap said in a press statement, a copy of which was sent to Bulatlat last week.
The Pamalakaya leader said his group’s fearless forecast in the next three years is that China will establish gas pipelines that would supply the energy sector of China, Malaysia and Singapore and that it would merely engaged in lease contract with the Philippine government for the use of 142,886 square kilometers encompassing Palawan and certain parts of the Spratly Islands being claimed by the Philippines over the last four decades.
Nam Hai 502
Hicap recalled that last week the Chinese oil exploration vessel Nan Hai docked at Puerto Princesa City port to refuel after coming from a seismic operation in Southwest Palawan.
But the fisherfolk leader said that aside from seismic operation, he was convinced that part of the operation is a study on where to put or start the setting up of China’s gas pipelines in Palawan.
“Nam Hai 502 was in Palawan last week not only to conduct seismic operation because it is already confirmed that trillions of cubic meters of natural gas are found in the waters of Palawan and the Kalayaan group of Islands. The best kept secret there is that the Chinese oil explorers are seemingly engaged in mapping operations regarding the setting up of gas pipelines,” Hicap said.
The Pamalakaya chair added: “We were not born yesterday not to understand this geographical escapade if Chinese oil exploration. Once they explore, all aspects are considered from identification of gas deposits to how these deposits would be taken off and transferred to the home base of the oil exploration giant and their big-time clients in neighbor countries.”
PNOC prexy’s admission
Pamalakaya said that although Antonio Calilao, president of the state-owned Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) has admitted that the entire 142,886 square kilometer area covered by the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) among the Philippines, China and Vietnam are all within Philippine territory, he did not touch on the prospects of constructing gas pipelines for fear of making JMSU more controversial and more disparaging in the eyes of the outraged public.
Calilao said JMSU as a purely commercial agreement has a precedent citing the joint Australian-Philippine cooperation, the joint Norwegian-Philippine cooperation, stressing that involvement of other nationalities in such undertaking is a very common practice here.
“Mr. Calilao could be a potential hostile witness in the scheduled Senate hearing on Spratly probe. He must be invited by the Senate, along with former PNOC President Eduardo Mañalac who earlier agreed to testify in any Senate investigation on JMSU. He and Mañalac must be grilled on what China intends to do with the Philippine gas,” Pamalakaya said.
