Marcos signs laws strengthening territorial rights to the West Philippine Sea

November 8, 2024 | 11:04am

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, November 8, signed into law two measures that would give the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea more teeth: the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.   

The first law, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, would clearly define the Philippines’ territorial waters, aligning the law to the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).    

“This is essential in establishing the extent of our maritime jurisdiction and to ensure that our rights and duties as an archipelagic state are well-defined in order that all Filipinos can rightfully enjoy the riches of our seas,” Marcos said during the ceremonial signing in Malacañan Palace. 

The law officially recognizes the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, which junked China’s claim over the waters inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, which spans 200 nautical miles.  

This means that by law, government officials regardless of the administration would have to uphold the 2016 ruling. 

“Maintaining the primacy of the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award as our beacons in the maritime domain, the Philippines reaffirms its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in our waters. By defining and asserting our maritime zones, we project to the international community that we are staunchly committed to nurturing, cultivating and protecting our maritime domain,” Marcos said. 

While the country has widely used the term “West Philippine Sea”, it was only the late president Benigno Aquino III’s administrative order that mandated the term’s use by the government. 

The Philippine Maritime Zones Act now puts the name of the West Philippine Sea into the law.   

The second law, the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, defined which sea lanes and air routes can be legally taken in the country’s waters.  

In the law, there are three archipelagic sea lanes: two east-west routes and one north-south route: 

• Sea Lane I: Philippine Sea – Balintang Channel – West Philippine Sea
• Sea Lane II: Celebes Sea – Sibutu Passage – Sulu Sea – Cuyo East Pass – Mindoro Strait – West Philippine Sea 
• Sea Lane III: Celebes Sea – Basilan Strait – Sulu Sea – Nasubata Channel – Balabac Strait – West Philippine Sea   

In a separate statement, Senate President Francis Escudero lauded the signing of the two bills. “The two laws will further strengthen our sovereignty and sovereign rights over our territorial waters and airspace. This is domestic law, on top of the 2016 arbitral ruling, that will bind executive officials and they cannot go against it,” he said.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was also present at today’s ceremonial signing, issued a similar statement. He added that the two laws would also impact the economy and food security. 

“By establishing clear boundaries and designating specific sea lanes, we strengthen our position under international law, safeguard our natural resources, and enhance our security in the West Philippine Sea and beyond,” he said.

The laws come amid ongoing tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea. Despite numerous diplomatic protests, China has continued its maritime expansion in Philippine waters. Chinese vessels frequently harass Philippine boats in the disputed waterways, regardless if the latter’s boats are government-owned or civilian-owned. Filipino personnel have also been injured during these confrontations with Chinese vessels, with one instance of a Navy officer losing a finger.