**Philippines to China: Oil Deal Must Obey Our Law**

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is willing to restart joint oil exploration talks with China in the contested South China Sea. However, any agreement must fully follow the Philippine constitution. Marcos Jr. announced his openness last month. The statement signals a potential shift in diplomacy but sets a firm legal condition. The South China Sea is a region rich in resources and claimed by several nations. The Philippines and China have a long-standing territorial dispute there. Past attempts at joint energy projects have failed, partly due to constitutional conflicts. The Philippine constitution places sovereignty over national resources exclusively in state hands. This means any exploration deal would require strict legal safeguards to pass.