The Senate's newly created special committee that will exclusively tackle proposed measures relating to maritime zones and sea lanes, is set to convene for the first time this week.

This was bared by Senator Francis Tolentino during a joint panel inquiry into West Philippine Sea issues on Tuesday.
"Come 14 September, the newly created Special Senate Maritime and Admiralty Zones committee will be convening for the first time and we will tackle the Maritime Zone bill for the first time," Tolentino said.

The Archipelagic Sea Lanes bill is among the topics to be discussed by the special panel, which will be chaired by Tolentino.

"After that, we hope to finish Senate Bill 654 and that is the Philippine Navy Archipelagic Defense Act," he added.
The creation of the special committee was proposed last July—at the height of increasing aggressions of China in parts of the WPS—with the recent harassment by the Chinese Coast Guards and China Maritime Militia reported in the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal as the Philippines conduct rotation and resupply mission to the country's territorial post, the BRP Siera Madre.

The new panel was also realized following the initial referral of the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act under House Bill 7819 to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

The Special Senate Maritime and Admiralty Zones will handle maritime issues as well as legislation of measures in regard to protecting the Philippine exclusive economic zone and baseline acts.

Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald 'Bato' de la Rosa, Robin Padilla, Christopher Lawrence 'Bong' Go, Juan Edgardo 'Sonny' Angara, and Risa Hontiveros will join Tolentino in the committee.

The Philippine senators earlier slammed China for releasing a 10-dash line map, showing its extended claims to cover most of the South China Sea, that overlaps with the country's "legitimate" claim in WPS.

Despite China's "irresponsible" actions in WPS, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines will continue to conduct resupply missions in its territorial waters in Ayungin Shoal.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard remained unfazed by the harassment from China.

Military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said they will continue to uphold rules-based international order over the WPS and exert "maximum tolerance" against the "bullying" of CCG and CMM.