MARITIME ZONES ACT APPROVED BY THE SENATE TO STRENGTHEN PH CLAIMS OVER WPS – GATCHALIAN

SENATOR  Win Gatchalian said a proposed measure that seeks to establish Philippine maritime zones is expected to strengthen the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea.

Gatchalian, member of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zone, emphasized he is hoping the proposed legislation would be enacted as soon as possible given continuing tensions over disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea.

On Monday, the Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2492, a landmark piece of legislation sponsored by Sen. Francis Tolentino which establishes the Philippine Maritime Zones in compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling.

The new law sets the archipelagic boundaries, the country’s internal waters and exclusive economic zones over which the Philippine Government exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Under the measure, the Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its Exclusive Economic Zone in the West Philippine Sea are highlighted together with the Benham Rise now known as “Talampas ng Pilipinas”.

The measure would likewise protect the rights of Filipino fishermen over the vast resources of the West Philippine Sea as well as the untapped energy resources in the area.

The new law serves as the cornerstone of our maritime policy, protecting our sovereignty and addresses our national security needs, according to Tolentino.

“Within the maritime zones law, we can forge more alliances with other countries, under a rules-based international order in compliance with UNCLOS, said  Tolentino, adding the law is 30 years in the making.

“Kahit ano pong mangayari ngayon sa Bajo de Masinloc, kahit ano pong mangyari ngayon sa karagatan ng West Philippine Sea, kahit ano po ang mangyari ngayon sa Benham Rise, nakatatak na po sa kasaysayan ang Philippine Maritime Zones Law,” said Tolentino.

Over the weekend, the Chinese Coast Guard blocked a Philippine vessel near the Scarborough Shoal which was delivering fuel and aid to Filipino fishermen in the area. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they had a similar encounter in the area a week earlier.

“This is an important piece of legislation that would strengthen our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, which was already established by our victory in the 2016 arbitral ruling,” said Gatchalian, who co-authored the proposed measure.

The proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act, once enacted into law, would clearly define the country’s maritime zones, harmonizing domestic laws on maritime territory with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Specifically, the establishment of the country’s maritime zones would fortify the geographical extent of the Philippines’ maritime domain, Gatchalian explained.