The United States expressed strong support for the Philippines’ newly enacted maritime laws — the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act — and urged the international community to do the same and align its maritime claims with international law as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“The United States values Philippine leadership in upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea, and calls on all states to comport their maritime claims to the international law of the sea as reflected in the Convention,” the US government said in a statement.
“The Maritime Zones Act aligns Philippine domestic laws with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling. This law defines the Philippines’ internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf in line with the Convention,” Washington added.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, for his part, said the two new laws empower the Philippines to assert its maritime jurisdiction amid ongoing disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
“These laws empower us to govern our maritime zones effectively while promoting lawful and peaceful maritime activities,” Año said.
The government will soon release a new official map that marks areas over which the country has sovereignty and sovereign rights, including the West Philippine Sea with specific coordinates and designations, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority said after the signing of the two new laws.
NAMRIA administrator Peter Tiangco said the agency is just waiting for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the new law.
“We already have the maps prepared. We are just waiting for the IRR to make modifications according to what’s needed. Once the IRR is issued, NAMRIA can move swiftly to release the map,” he said.
“Our maps will have the legal basis supported by existing laws,” Tiangco added, implicitly referring to China’s recent maps with its nine-dash-line over almost the entire South China Sea – a claim that was already rejected by the UN arbitral court in 2016.
China opposed the two newly-signed laws, claiming these “illegal incorporated” Bajo de Masinloc and the Kalayaan Island Group as part of the Philippines’ maritime zones.
China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “The law seriously violates the Declaration of the Conduct of All Parties in the South China Sea, which will lead to the complexity of the situation in the South China Sea. If the Philippines takes any infringement and provocative action in the South China Sea in accordance with the law, China will resolutely respond.”
Mao urged the Philippines to “stop taking any unilateral actions that may escalate disputes and complicate the situation, and to effectively maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
The Philippine Maritime Zones Act or RA No. 12064 defines the maximum extent of the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), EEZ (200 nautical miles), and continental shelf (beyond 200 nautical miles).
On the other hand, the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act or RA No. 12065 designates the sea lanes and air routes suitable for the continuous and expeditious passage of foreign ships and aircraft through or over the country’s archipelagic water and the adjacent territorial sea.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “US supports new Philippine maritime laws.”
