The Philippine government has been urged to accelerate energy projects under Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), instead of considering arrangements with other parties that may expose the country to “geopolitical pressure.”
According to Stratbase Institute president and CEO Victor Andres Manhit, the country must be unequivocal in its direction and choose arrangements that deliver real, sustainable prosperity. “It must build its energy future with partners that respect its sovereignty and share its support for a rules-based order. More importantly, it must choose a path where it can strengthen its own capabilities without compromising on its national interests,” he said.
The head of the private think tank said that any energy arrangement that comes with “implicit or explicit concessions in the West Philippine Sea, or that turns a blind eye on the ongoing coercion there, directly undermines the country’s sovereign and national interests.”
The Philippine government is currently discussing possible joint energy exploration activities with China in the West Philippine Sea, which the latter continues to claim as part of its territory despite a 2016 arbitral award invalidating its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
AZEC is an initiative launched by Tokyo in 2023 that promotes cooperation among 11 Asian partner-countries on clean energy transition, energy security, and decarbonization. Other members are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Manhit noted that the country’s participation in AZEC comes at a critical time as the world grapples with a global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict. He said it offers a “credible and forward-looking framework that advances three essential goals simultaneously: energy security, economic growth, and decarbonization.”
When it comes to resources within our sovereign territory, our leaders really need to be more circumspect when it comes to choosing partners. Getting into energy exploration deals or agreements with countries that cannot be trusted or have not shown enough reason to be trusted should be avoided at all costs, especially if there are safer and better options out there.
Let us not rush into deals where we cannot ensure that we benefit from our own resources. The national interests of Filipinos must take primacy over everything else.*
