MANILA, Philippines - Pangasinan Representative Jose de Venecia has called for the immediate passage of House Bill No. 3216 defining the country’s archipelagic baselines to include the Spratly islands that are also being claimed by China and Vietnam.

“This should already be passed because of the May 2009 deadline,” De Venecia said, referring to the submission of claims on extended continental shelf areas under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

De Venecia indicated there was no conflict between the bill defining the Philippine territory as one that includes the Spratlys and the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam.

“It’s just a seismic agreement ... We didn’t give up our sovereign claim,” De Venecia said.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño also called on Speaker Prospero Nograles to facilitate the immediate passage of HB 3216 that was approved on second reading in December. He also called on Nograles to conduct an inquiry into the JMSU.

The House committee on foreign affairs has indicated that the Department of Foreign Affairs had expressed reservations on the bill because it would run counter to existing agreements regarding the South China Sea.

Casiño fears that the reason why the department is asking Congress not to pass HB 3216 is because it conflicts with the JMSU.

The JMSU, in turn, is suspected as the main reason behind the deluge of Chinese-funded projects in the country.

“Pass HB 3216 and investigate the JMSU. That’s the extra challenge to Speaker Nograles. This is his chance to prove that the House is not Malacañang’s rubber stamp but rather, a protector of the country’s patrimony and territory,” Casiño said.