President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign today two legislative measures aimed at strengthening the country’s legal and territorial claim over the West Philippine Sea, according to Senate President Francis Escudero.
Escudero said the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act defines the country’s maritime zones and archipelagic sea laws.
“The two laws will further strengthen our sovereignty and sovereign rights over our territorial waters and the airspace over it. This is domestic law, on top of the 2016 arbitral ruling, that will bind executive officials and they cannot go against it,” he said.
Filed as Senate Bill No. 2492, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act is a declaration that the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial sea archipelagic waters and the airspace over it as well as its seabed and subsoil in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.
This covers the contiguous zone of the Philippines, which refers to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea up to 24 nautical miles from the baselines, as well as defines the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf and the extended continental shelf that form part of Philippine territory.
It also states that the Philippines has rights and privileges in the high seas and the international seabed as provided for in the UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.
All maritime scientific research in the maritime zones of the Philippines shall redound to the benefit of the Filipino people, it says.
“By asserting our rights over the sea and air, we are in effect ensuring the utilization of our rich resources in our territorial waters for the benefit of our people,” Escudero said.
SBN 2665 or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, on the other hand, designates sea lanes in archipelagic waters by foreign ships and aircraft.
A system of archipelagic sea lanes through which foreign vessels and aircraft shall exercise the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage, shall be established and designated by the President.
The law defines the obligations in the exercise of the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage as well as the acts prohibited on the sea lanes and over the air routes.
It also identifies the liability of ships or aircraft for any loss or damage suffered by the Philippines or any third party as a result of non-compliance with the provisions of the law.
“The crafting of these laws and its enforcement are in accordance with the UNCLOS. It provides the country with more teeth in responding to infractions against Philippine interests,” Escudero said.
