Legislating Phl Maritime Zones Act crucial to AFP’s territorial defense—navy exec

The enactment of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act into law will enable the Armed Forces of the Philippines to better execute approaches in governing the country’s territorial waters, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, a Navy official said Tuesday.

In a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS, Commodore Roy Trinidad, said the legislation of the measure would allow the AFP better governance and preserve the country’s maritime entitlements amid the increasing tension in the disputed portions of the South China Sea.

“This will afford the Philippine navy and the armed forces a better approach in governing our maritime zone, the comprehensive archipelagic defense concept mentioned by the Secretary of Defense… would mean that the navy and the AFP would have more forces that would be able to protect and to preserve our maritime entitlements,” Trinidad told reporters.

“The passage of the bill, if it will be signed into a law, would afford us a clearer perspective of the maritime domain, thus our governance and preserving the maritime entitlements will be much better,” he added.

The Senate on Monday approved the proposed measure seeking for the establishment of Philippine maritime zones.

Senate Bill 2492, or the proposed "Philippine Maritime Zones Act of 2023 garnered 23 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstentions from the lawmakers.