Foreign ships and aircraft that will be polluting the country’s designated sea lanes, including the West Philippine Sea, shall be punished under the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (PASLA), Camarines Sur Luis Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte said any breach of PASLA which also constitutes a violation of existing fisheries, environmental, customs, fiscal, immigration, sanitary, or other special laws shall be punishable under the provisions of such laws.
If the breach is not covered by existing laws prior to the implementation of PASLA, violations shall be punishable by imprisonment of six months and one day to two years and two months, or a fine of $1.2 million or its equivalent in Philippine currency, or both at the discretion of the court.
“Such penalties shall be imposed on the master of the ship or captain of the aircraft; and if the owner of the vessel or aircraft is a corporation, partnership or juridical person, then the penalty shall be imposed upon the president or head of this business entity in breach of this new law,” said Villafuerte, a co-author of the law.
Under Section 16 of the law, foreign ships and aircraft exercising archipelagic sea lanes passage are banned from discharging oil, oily waters, solid waste, other noxious substances, or ballast water; discharging sewage, garbage, and air emissions; and conducting any other activities that violate Philippine laws and international regulations and standards for the prevention, reduction, and control of marine pollution.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed in November the PASLA and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (PMZA), as companion laws reaffirming the country’s sovereignty over internal and archipelagic waters, along with its sovereign rights over Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters.
“These two laws underscore the importance of our maritime and archipelagic identity. They align our domestic laws with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), clearly defining the extent of our maritime entitlements and securing the rights of our people,” Mr. Marcos said.
“Our people, especially our fisherfolk, should be able to pursue their livelihood free from uncertainty and harassment. We must be able to harness mineral and energy resources in our seabed,” he added.
With the two new laws, 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.
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.
