The Marcos administration is intensifying efforts to defend Philippine sovereignty, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as he promised 4 years ago.
“I will not preside over any process that will abandon even a square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power,” Mr. Marcos declared during his inaugural SONA. That vow has since become a cornerstone of his foreign and defense policies.
Mr. Marcos first major foreign policy stance after assuming office was to uphold the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Over the past years, the Philippines has adopted a “transparency” strategy, making public videos and photos of Chinese ships firing water cannons, using lasers, and blocking Filipino vessels.
The President has likewise signed in the past year two laws – the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act – effectively reinforcing the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the West Philippines Sea.
The Philippine Maritime Zones Act had explicitly defined the extent of the country’s internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf that are fully in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, meanwhile, designates the sea lanes and air routes suitable for the continuous and expeditious passage of foreign ships and aircraft through or over its archipelagic water and the adjacent territorial sea. The law was signed to prevent arbitrary international passage in the Philippine archipelago.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is also advancing the standard naming of the 131 features in the Kalayaan Island Group.
“Being on the right side of the rules-based order and international law makes it easier for others to join us in taking a stand and forming a tight bond that can withstand illegal and unfounded claims and aggressive actions at sea,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said.
“The waters may continue to be rough and turbulent, but together we can steady the sails and navigate through obstacles, as we defend the rules-based order in the maritime domain,” she added.
