US calls Philippines a ‘strategic ally’ over Spratlys issue

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) The United States has finally expressed its support for the Philippine government over issues involving its disputes with China over the Spratly Islands.

In his speech during the launch of the National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) yesterday, US Ambassador Harry Thomas reiterated to guests, which included President Benigno Aquino III, that the Philippines and the US were “strategic allies.”

“We are allies. We will continue to work with each other in all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys,” Thomas only said at the conclusion of his speech. He however did not elaborate on what kind of support the US will provide to the Philippine government.

The short comment made by Thomas came timely, amid reports that several Philippine senators were doubtful that the US would come to the aid of the Philippines if the verbal row with China over the disputed Spratly Islands escalated.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras meanwhile commented that the remarks of Thomas were only meant to show the support of the US to the Philippines in all areas including energy sector.

“He [Thomas] just wanted to express the fact that the US government is supportive of the Philippines. I guess the ambassador just wanted to express his complete and total faith and support for the Philippines. He even mentioned he’s supporting us in everything,” Almendras said.

The energy chief also stressed that Philippine government, through the Department of Energy, has not awarded any petroleum service contract within the disputed Spratlys area.

“What did we do to deserve the statement from China that we shouldn’t be developing oil fields in the Spratly Islands? I can’t understand that very well because there is no exploration activity in the Spratly Islands because there was a prior agreement na wala munang gagalaw dun [that no one will touch that first],” Almendras said.

Almendras also explained that the contested Service Contract 72 awarded to UK-based firm Forum Energy Plc covered only parts of the Reed Bank, about 45 kilometers from the shore of Palawan.

“It’s already a service contract. We have finished the seismic work and analysis is already on going. That area is not within the Spratlys Island. We have not done anything in the Spratlys,” Almendras further stressed.

The Reed Bank, which the Philippines now officially calls the Recto Bank, lies within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and is home to prospective oil and gas areas, notably the Sampaguita prospect, which was reported to contain as much as 3.4-trillion cubic feet of gas and potentially 440 million barrels of oil. It is believed to host a much bigger deposit of oil and gas than the adjoining Malampaya gas field, the country’s only and largest gas production field to date.

Originally posted at 12:47 p.m.