Sotto files bill declaring, defining Philippines’ maritime zones

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has filed a bill declaring and defining the Philippine’s maritime zone to protect the country’s sovereign rights and carry out maritime activities in its waters.

The Senate chief filed Senate Bill 2289, explaining that the Philippines should make its own map similar to China’s nine-dash line.

“Let’s insist on our own maritime zones. It is just a matter of really setting our foot down,” Sotto said.

SB 2289 also seeks to “preclude any unwarranted and undesirable dispute with other nations involving our maritime areas.”

Under the proposed measure, maritime zones of the Philippines comprise the internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

It stated that all territories of the Philippines must generate their respective maritime zones on accordance with international law.

The internal waters refer to waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines not forming part of archipelagic waters, and waters on the landward side of the baselines of the territorial sea of territories outside of the archipelagic baselines.

Meanwhile, archipelagic waters refer to the waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines.

SB 2289 likewise provide that territorial sea of the Philippines refers to the adjacent belt of sea measured 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the territorial sea, while the contiguous zone refers to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea and up to the extent of 24 nautical miles from the baselines.

Within this zone, the Philippine government can exercise control to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea, and punish any infringement committed within its territory or territorial sea.

The measure also includes seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea in the definition of the country’s continental shelf.

SB 2289 states that the “Philippines could exercise sovereignty over its internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial sea, 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] and other existing laws and treaties.” — Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA News