By G. Kabiling
President Duterte is expected to lead a send-off for a group of Filipino scientists that will conduct marine research in the Philippine Rise next week, Malacañang said yesterday.
The President’s upcoming voyage to the area formerly known as Benham Rise will be held this month to mark the first anniversary of the undersea region’s renaming.
“The President will be commemorating the renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise by visiting the Philippine Rise itself and this is on May 15 to 16,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
“It will also be to launch the start of scientific research to be conduced by around 50 scientists so the event will be attended by 50 scientists whom the President will be sending off as they start their scientific researches in Philippine Rise,” he added.
Duterte earlier bared plans to set sail to Philippine Rise to assert the country’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the territory. He insisted that the undersea region, which has an area approximately 24 million hectares, belongs to the Philippines.