QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — A member of the House of Representatives has expressed his support for a change of the name “Benham Rise” to “Philippine Rise.”
“But we must also take every peaceful measure possible to assert our rights as a country following international rule of law. The renaming is well within our rights and is non aggressive. Let’s proceed forthwith,” Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on National Defense and Muntinlupa Representative Ruffy Biazon said.
“The proposal being considered by Malacañang to rename Benham Rise to Philippine Rise is an idea that is not only timely but urgently necessary,” Biazon added.
Benham Rise was named after US geologist Andrew Benham who discovered the 13 million-hectare underwater plateau in 1933, off the coast of Aurora province. This is believed to be rich in marine resources, natural gas, oil, and minerals.