President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally signed on Friday two complementary laws aimed at navigating the ever-evolving issues related to protecting national sovereignty and interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a simple ceremony held in Malacañang with many lawmakers and government officials in attendance, President Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Law and RA 12065 or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law.
Both laws aim to define and ensure the protection of the country’s maritime domain and territorial waters pursuant to the existing legal provisions and treaties in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Convention on International Civil Aviation.
With these pieces of legislation, President Marcos hopes to improve the Philippines’ capacity for governance and reinforce its maritime policies for economic development and national security, in accordance with the Constitution.
“Our people, especially our fisherfolk, should be able to pursue their livelihood free from uncertainty and harassment. We must be able to harness mineral and energy resources in our seabed,” the Commander-in-Chief emphasized.
“Maintaining the primacy of the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award as our beacons in the maritime domain, the Philippines reaffirms its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in our waters. By defining and asserting our maritime zones, we project to the international community that we are staunchly committed to nurturing, cultivating our maritime domain,” he added.
President Marcos thanked all members of the 19th Congress for working on the enactment of these laws, which had been deliberated since the 15th Congress.
Editor’s Note: This story will be updated.
