Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday said he would seek the opinion of international law experts when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee starts hearing the various measures that seek to enhance the country’s positions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
According to Pimentel, the foreign relations panel which he chairs, will conduct an inquiry into the proposed law that seeks to declare the Philippines maritime zones amid China’s incursions in the WPS and invite experts in the field of international law to determine if such measure is still necessary.
“I will ask the opinion of our international law experts in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) because there is already a point of view that UNCLOS is the primary constitution that governs the oceans, seas, high seas,” Pimentel said in an interview on Radio DZBB.
“And we always say that the Philippines—we are a responsible member of the international community, and we abide by what is written in the treaty that we signed. We have stated that,” he pointed out.
“So there is a school of thought that we don’t need to pass a law, because the law that we need to use would be UNCLOS,” he said referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).
Senate President Vicente Sotto III had earlier filed Senate Bill No. 2289 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act which seeks to declare and identify the country’s maritime zones, archipelagic waters and territorial zones.
But Pimentel said there is a need to scrutinize the need to pass such measure into law especially if it will only restate the provisions already provided under the UNCLOS.
“So we will ask the international experts, is there a need to pass this measure? Would there be additional benefits if we pass this into law? Because you need to make it perfect when you restate provisions under the UNCLOS. Because if we commit a mistake, or a typographical error, it could have a negative effect on us,” Pimentel pointed out.
“We will hear this, but we need to get the point of view of the experts in international law,” the senator reiterated.
He also said he will try to include in the agenda, Senate Resolution No. 954, which seeks to denounce China’s continued presence and “hostile acts” within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS which Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has filed condemning Chinese ships’ recent water cannon attack at Philippine forces at the BRP Sierra Madre that was grounded at the Ayungin Shoal.
Pimentel said he will seek to clarify the resolution’s proposal to enter into a defense and security management with other nations, as he does not want a militarized approach in resolving disputes in the WPS.
“Personally, I do not want to militarize. If there is a disputed territory, don’t militarize. I hope we can use the International Law as the rule,” he stressed.