BY JP LOPEZ

DETAINED Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday said that aside from the joint marine seismic study in the Spratly islands, the Arroyo government also entered into an oil exploration agreement with China in April 2006 that would cover the Calamian Islands in Palawan.

"The government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is again lying to the Filipino people. Contrary to their claim, the Macapagal administration has actually entered into an oil exploration agreement with China not only involving Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys), but within undisputed Philippine territory," Trillanes said.

Trillanes said the government and China signed on April 2, 2006 a "farm-in exploration agreement through state-owned China National Overseas Oil Company (CNOOC) and Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation."

Under the petroleum agreement, CNOOC International Ltd. acquired a 51 percent working interest in a 7,200 square-kilometer area located in and around the Calamian Islands.

The area is referred to in the agreement as Block Service Contract No. 57, he said.

"This agreement is in gross violation of the Constitution," he said, citing the constitutional requirement of at least 60 percent Filipino ownership of any company or entity involved in the exploration, development and exploitation of natural resources.

But CNOOC is wholly owned by the Chinese, Trillanes said, aside from CNOOC further acquiring a working interest in the area more than what its local counterpart has.

Trillanes said the Constitution requires that agreements of this nature with foreign corporations should be reported to Congress within 30 days.

"Once again, Mrs. Arroyo has proven that she will not hesitate to violate our laws including the Constitution to subserve her own selfish interest," Trillanes said.

"Clearly, this is part of the treacherous deal she has entered into with China and her cohorts can profit from huge kickbacks from tainted loans for anomalous projects like the ZTE-NBN deal, the NorthRail and SouthRail projects, and the Cyber-education project, among others," he said.

Trillanes has filed a resolution asking the Senate to investigate the joint marine seismic study, saying the Arroyo administration might have committed treason because the pact has the effect of giving away Philippine sovereignty to a foreign country.

The joint marine seismic study was signed on Sept. 1, 2004 between the CNOOC and the Philippine National Oil Corp. reportedly in exchange for billions worth of soft loans for projects like the National Broadband Network project, the Cyber Education project, and the North and South Rail projects.