Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday said the country can now fully assert its rights to utilize the rich-resource West Philippine Sea with the newly signed Philippine Maritime Zones and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. 

Escudero said the two landmark laws defining the country's maritime zones and archipelagic sea laws will give more teeth to the legal and territorial claim of the Philippines over WPS. 

“The two laws will further strengthen our sovereignty and sovereign rights over our territorial waters and the airspace over it and this is domestic law, on top of the 2016 arbitral ruling, that will bind executive officials, and they cannot go against it,” Escudero said as he witnessed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. signing of the laws.

Filed as Senate Bill 2492, or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, is a declaration that the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial sea archipelagic waters, and the airspace over them, as well as its seabed and subsoil, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other existing laws and treaties.

This covers the contiguous zone of the Philippines, which refers to the waters beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea up to 24 nautical miles from the baselines, as well as defines the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, and the extended continental shelf that forms part of Philippine territory.

It also states that the Philippines has rights and privileges in the high seas and the international seabed as provided for in the UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

The measure also stated that maritime scientific research in the Philippines' maritime zones would benefit the Filipino people.

“By asserting our rights over the sea and air, we are in effect ensuring the utilization of our rich resources in our territorial waters for the benefit of our people,” Escudero said.

Meanwhile, SB 2665, or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, designates sea lanes in archipelagic waters by foreign ships and aircraft.

A system of archipelagic sea lanes through which foreign vessels and aircraft shall exercise the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage shall be established and designated by the President.

The law defines the obligations in the exercise of the right of archipelagic sea lane passage as well as the acts prohibited on the sea lanes and over the air routes.

It also identifies the liability of ships or aircraft for any loss or damage suffered by the Philippines or any third party as a result of non-compliance with the provisions of the law.

“The crafting of these laws and its enforcement are in accordance with the UNCLOS. It provides the country with more teeth in responding to infractions against Philippine interests,” Escudero said.