Senate panel recommends declaration of maritime zones under PH territory

The Senate building at the GSIS Complex in Pasay City. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines – A Senate panel recommended the declaration and identification of maritime zones under the jurisdiction of the Philippines.

In a six-page committee report issued early this week, the Senate special panel on maritime and admiralty zones said Philippine maritime zones consist of internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf.

Under the committee report, the panel defined these zones as follows:

• Internal Waters – Waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines not forming part of archipelagic waters. This also pertains to waters on the landward side of the baselines of the territories outside of the archipelagic baselines.
• Archipelagic Waters – Refers to the waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines.
• Territorial Sea – Refers to the adjacent belt of sea measured 12 nautical miles from the baselines.
• Contiguous Zone – Refers to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea up to 24 nautical miles from the baselines.
• Exclusive Economic Zone – Pertains to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea and up to the extent of 200 nautical miles from the baselines.
• Continental Shelf — The Philippines’ continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines, where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance.

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The committee report likewise noted that the Philippines shall give due regard to the rights and duties of foreign states, and foreign states shall act with due regard to the rights and duties of the Philippines, relative to the maritime zones as provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law.

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“Any violation of this Act shall be addressed and penalized through pertinent existing laws and regulations. In the absence thereof, any violation of this Act shall be subject to an administrative fine of not less than six hundred thousand US dollars (US$ 600,000.00) but not more than one million US dollars (US$ 1,000,000.00), or the equivalent in Philippine currency,” the report reads.