By Camille A. Aguinaldo

THE SENATE on Monday will open its inquiry on the issues hounding Philippine Rise or Benham Rise, especially on foreign and local scientific research as well as national security concerns on the continental shelf.

The Senate committee on science and technology, chaired by Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, has invited Filipino scientists and military experts on these matters.

“Let us hear the side of our scientists, researchers and experts….We want to know from the experts the extent of the Philippines’ natural resources in Benham Rise and what are the threats from China here. We would also tackle the funding and assistance for our local research programs,” Mr. Aquino said in a statement. The senator added that local scientists would present their research findings on the 13-million hectare (ha) underwater plateau while national security officials would shed light on the research conducted recently by China on Benham Rise and on other issues surrounding the Philippine territory.

Among those invited to the inquiry are Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, maritime law expert Jay L. Batongbacal of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS) and Dr. Fernando P. Siringan, director of the UP-Maritime Science Institute (UP-MSI).

Also expected to appear are Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr., Philippine Navy chief Rear Admiral Robert A. Empedrad and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua.

Mr. Aquino stressed the importance of a strong and clear policy on Benham Rise amid the increasing presence of China in the region.

“Let us not give this important natural resource up just like the West Philippine Sea,” Mr. Aquino said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had earlier granted the request of the Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IO-CAS) to conduct maritime research in Benham Rise together with the UP-MSI.

Malacañang later ordered that new applications for foreign research would have to be approved by the National Security Adviser.

China has also succeeded in registering official names for five undersea features in Benham Rise, claiming to discover three of the features during a 2004 survey by the China Navy Hydrographic Office.

The Philippine government has already objected to the Chinese names and has forwarded this matter to the Philippine embassy in Beijing.

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