Posted on 09:35 PM, January 26, 2010
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Exxon Mobil Corp. should recognize the Moros’ ancestral claims and rightful share of resources extracted from Sulu Sea, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said in a statement yesterday.
“The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has reminded Exxon Mobil, which is presently engaged in oil exploration in Sulu, not to forget that it is operating within the Moro ancestral homeland and that the rightful share of the Bangsamoro people is not written off by its agreement with the Manila government,” the rebel group said in a statement.
The MILF and the Philippine government are preparing for a second round of talks next week in Kuala Lumpur, which will touch on the general framework of a proposed final peace deal, which includes the sharing of resources.
“The issue of wealth-sharing between the central Government and the future Bangsamoro state or sub-state is one of the outstanding issues in the current GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines)-MILF Peace Talks,” the Moro rebels said. It noted that a botched deal covering territory indicated a “75-25 sharing of wealth including oil or gas production, in favor of the future Moro state.”
The sharing scheme is part of the larger political autonomy that the MILF is pushing in the negotiations. The group claims the Moros, natives of Mindanao, have all the rights to claim resources in their ancestral domain. The Front claims to have both political and military presence in the island provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan.
Officials of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Philippines B.V. were not immediately available for comment. The firm, which has been exploring Sulu Sea since last year, previously announced positive results with the discovery of hydrocarbon that indicates a potential source of gas or oil.
The company recently entered a deal with the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), the largest military command outside Manila, for security assistance to thwart terror attacks on its drilling operations.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed by Lt. Gen. Ben D. Dolorfino, WestMinCom commander; Rear Admiral Alexander P. Pama, WestMincCom naval chief; and Scott Spradlin, ExxonMobil Exploration operations officer, is for general security in the Sulu Sea.
The Philippine military will deploy two patrol Navy boats and a surveillance aircraft in the area. Each boat is armed and capable of carrying 100 Navy personnel, Mr. Dolorfino had said. Under the agreement, the exploration company will provide logistical support such as petroleum, oil, and lubricants as well as rice subsidies to military personnel.
ExxonMobil Exploration holds Service Contract No. 56 for Sulu issued by the Philippine government. The Energy department had estimated the area to contain 750 million barrels of oil, enough to supply the country’s fuel requirements for the next seven years. -- Darwin T. Wee
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