Trillanes Files Resolution for Probe of ‘Spratly Deal’ Between Arroyo, Beijing

FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )

First Regular Session )

SENATE

P. S. RES. NO. 309

Introduced by Sen. Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV

RESOLUTION

DIRECTING THE COMMITTEES ON ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND INVESTIGATIONS (BLUE RIBBON), NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, THE SUPPOSED “SPRATLY DEAL” PURPORTEDLY ENTERED INTO BY THE ARROYO GOVERNMENT WITH CHINA, A PACT REPORTEDLY INVOLVING THE TREACHEROUS SELLOUT OF PHILIPPINE INTEREST AND PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGNTY IN EXCHANGE FOR OVERPRICED LOANS FOR ANOMALOUS PROJECTS WHICH INCLUDE THE ZTE-NBN DEAL, THE NORTH RAIL AND SOUTH RAIL PROJECTS, AND THE DEP-ED’S CYBER-ED PROJECT, AMONG OTHERS.

whereas, the Philippines has asserted a historic and legal claim over the Kalayaan Group of Islands which are internationally known as the “Spratlys” or “Spratly Islands” and the Philippines is one of the six (6) countries involved in the Spratly Islands Dispute.

WHEREAS, it was in fact the Philippines which first sought a united front and rallied the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) to confront China over its intrusion into Mischief Reef, a part of the Spratly Islands a decade earlier;

WHEREAS, this effort by the Philippines resulted into “ASEAN-China Declaration of the Conduct of Parties” in 2002;

WHEREAS, in a national newspaper, the Arroyo Administration has been accused of TREASON when it purportedly caused the signing of the so called “SPRATLY DEAL” with China in exchange for loans attended by bribery and corruption1;

WHEREAS, there appears to be sufficient basis for this claim because during her visit to China in 2004, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did in fact caused the signing of the “Agreement for Seismic Undertaking for Certain Areas in the South China Sea by and Between China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company” (“Subject Agreement” hereinafter);

WHEREAS, Vietnam, one of the parties to the Spartly Islands Dispute, “immediately voiced concern, declaring that the agreement, concluded without consultation, was not in keeping with the spirit of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration of the Conduct of Parties2”;

WHEREAS, Vietnam stopped its objections in March 2005 when it joined China and the Philippines in turning the agreement into a tripartite undertaking;