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Manila: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo plans to visit the disputed Spratly Islands amid fears by legislators that a joint seismic study with China and Vietnam has weakened Manila's territorial claims, an official said on Monday.
A similar visit last month by then-Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian to an island claimed by his country has elicited protests from Vietnam and the Philippines.
The Spratlys, believed to be rich in oil, gas and fish stocks, consist of about 100 barren islets, reefs and atolls dotting the world's busiest shipping lanes in the South China Sea.
Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei each claim all or part of the low-lying islands.
Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, speaking before visiting the Philippine-held Kalayaan chain of islands in the Spratlys on Monday, said Arroyo chided him when he told her he would make a trip without her.
"She said, 'You should have told me about your trip earlier because I really wanted to go to Kalayaan,' " Esperon told reporters.
"So I warning all of you that in the coming days or week, the president will include that in her schedule."
The visit to the islands - which would be Arroyo's first - appears to be in reaction to mounting concerns by lawmakers that the Philippines has failed to protect its interests over more aggressive posturing by its neighbors, particularly China.
The Philippines, China and Vietnam have signed onto a three-year seismic study, ending in June, aimed at finding out if there are possible oil reserves in the South China Sea.
But the agreement also apparently covers areas in Philippine territorial waters and local media have linked it to Chinese loans for allegedly overpriced projects that witnesses have told the Senate involved kickbacks to officials.
The government has refused to make the agreement public and has denied any irregularities.
The agreement was signed in 2004 by state-owned Philippine National Oil Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp. The Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp. joined in 2005, but three other claimants to the disputed island chain -Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei - are excluded.
The study followed a 2002 agreement between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China aimed at avoiding conflict over the Spratlys.
It says that with the agreement of all parties concerned, joint activities may be pursued pending resolution of the dispute.
Earlier this month, China said it was worried the controversy may damage friendly ties with the Philippines.
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