The Petition:

​We, the undersigned citizens of the Philippines and advocates for national sovereignty, strongly urge the Philippine Government to halt all plans for joint oil and gas exploration with the People's Republic of China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) unless it is strictly conducted under the sole framework of Philippine law and explicitly recognizes our exclusive sovereign rights.

​Why This Matters:

​Recent reports confirming "initial exchanges" between Manila and Beijing regarding potential joint energy exploration have raised profound alarms. While we recognize the pressing reality of global energy uncertainties, sacrificing our territorial integrity and sovereign rights for the promise of energy security is a dangerous and unacceptable trade-off.  

​Entering into a joint exploration agreement with China under its current terms is a threat to our nation for the following reasons:

​Constitutional Supremacy: The 1987 Philippine Constitution explicitly mandates that the exploration, development, and utilization of our natural resources must be under the full control and supervision of the State. Agreeing to a "joint development" where China does not recognize our legal framework undermines our Constitution and practically surrenders our resources.  

​The 2016 Arbitral Ruling: The Philippines won a historic and internationally recognized legal victory at The Hague, which invalidated China’s expansive claims. Entering into a joint exploration deal without China’s explicit acknowledgment of our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) weakens this hard-won victory and sets a dangerous precedent.  

​National Security and Trust: It is illogical and unsafe to partner in resource extraction with a state that actively harasses our fisherfolk, dangerously blocks our resupply missions, and consistently disregards our maritime borders. Trust must precede partnership.  

​False Solutions: Legal and maritime experts have warned that joint exploration is a "trap" if it requires the Philippines to concede ownership rights. Furthermore, oil exploration takes years to yield results and will not serve as an immediate fix to the current energy crisis.  

​Our Call to Action:

​We cannot negotiate away what is rightfully and legally ours. If foreign partnerships are necessary to extract energy resources within our EEZ, the Philippine government must seek out reliable international partners and allies who respect UNCLOS, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and Philippine sovereignty.

​We call on the administration to be fully transparent with the Filipino people regarding any ongoing talks and to unequivocally reject any deal that compromises our rights.

​The West Philippine Sea is ours. Our resources are for the Filipino people. Please sign and share this petition to send a clear message to our leaders: Philippine sovereignty is not for sale, and it is not subject to compromise.