Experts backed the passage of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act but said more needs to be done to boost the country’s defense of its maritime zones.
MANILA – Experts backed Tuesday the passage of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act but said more needs to be done to boost the country’s defense of its maritime zones.
Maritime affairs expert Jay Batongbacal said the bill is necessary because current Philippine maritime laws are outdated. Batongbacal said the bill, if passed into law, will "clarify to the world that we are claiming [maritime zones] in accordance with UNCLOS, particularly, the zones being, well reaching up to 12 nautical miles territorial sea, 200 nautical miles with the EEZ continental shelf, and also declaring contiguous zone."
“The enforcement is another matter. Professor Batongbacal talked about the navy, the Coast Guard, other law enforcement agencies. So you need to back up that law of course with capabilities,” he said. “We have to put, you know, the money where our mouth is. That’s basically what is necessary,” De Castro said.
“We of course will always rely on international law because it is through international law that power can be equalized. And that’s why we must always dedicate ourselves to creating an international community which works under the rule of law instead of the rule of the jungle,” he said.
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