By: Sophia Pacheco
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. signed two bills into law on Friday, Nov. 8. Photo courtesy: Noel Pabalate /The Philippine STAR.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. signed two bills into law on Friday, Nov. 8, to strengthen and clarify the country's maritime zone and archipelagic sea-lanes, asserting the Philippines' sovereignty on its territorial waters, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
Republic Act No. 12064, also known as the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, specifies the limits of the Philippines' maritime rights, or the territory of the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), over which it has sole authority and responsibility for natural resources.
Meanwhile, Republic Act No. 12065, or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act which establishes three particular archipelagic sea lanes to be used by foreign ships and aircraft without compromising the country’s security.
"With these pieces of legislation, we align our domestic laws with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), improve our capacity for governance, and reinforce our maritime policies for economic development and for national security," President Marcos said.
According to the President, actions being taken are essential in defending the country's rights and demonstrating to the international community the Philippines' commitment to developing, cultivating, and protecting its marine domain.
“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.
President Marcos also hopes that with the support of these two laws, the Philippines will continue to strengthen and protect its maritime interests.
China’s opposition to the PH maritime zones law
China condemned the Philippines' Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz on Friday, Nov. 8, expressing its opposition to the enactment of two congressional bills, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, and summoning the Philippine Ambassador to China to "make serious protests" against the move.
In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning claimed that the maritime zones law "illegally includes" the majority of China's Huangyan and Nansha islands, as well as related maritime areas, in the Philippines' maritime zones.
China has made a strong commitment to oppose any "infringement activities and provocations" by the Philippines in the South China Sea, citing the law.
“The act also aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation. This move severely violates China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. We strongly condemn and firmly oppose it,” said Mao Ning.
China's continued aggression in Philippine waters originates from its broad claim to the majority of the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea, and has been repeatedly rejected by an arbitration panel of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, last July 2016.
PH stands firm against China’s claims
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino stated that the two acts signed into law will establish and enforce the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China's claims to West Philippine Sea within the country's exclusive economic zone.
“By passing these laws, we seek to bolster international recognition for the Philippines’ assertion of its territorial and maritime rights, as well as the practice of making official references to the ‘West Philippine Sea’ in global maritime and aviation systems,” Tolentino said in a statement.
The RA 12064 and RA 12065 encourages the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) to establish the precise boundaries of the country's maritime zones and archipelagic sea-lanes in compliance with the two laws.