MANILA, Philippines — Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), only the Philippines can build structures in Benham Rise, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Thursday. In 2012, the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the Philippines' submission with respect to the limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in the Benham Rise region. Carpio added that only the Philippines can explore the region as it has sovereign rights to explore and exploit natural resources. Asked about the possible consequences of allowing China to survey Benham Rise, Carpio said that he is not aware of the type of agreement that the two countries entered into. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the government may build structures in Benham Rise to demonstrate Philippine sovereignty and control over the area.

Source: Philippine Star March 16, 2017 08:03 UTC