If Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez would have his way, he would prohibit Chinese and other foreign vessels from entering Philippine waters without first gaining permission from the country.

“I have refiled my bill and I urge Congress to approve it. No Chinese or any vessel should be allowed in our waters without our approval unless for innocent passage in the designated archipelagic sea lanes,” Rodriguez said in a statement Wednesday, Oct. 26.

The ranking congressman was referring to House Bill (HB) No.2465, which is pending with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the current 19th Congress.

Rodriguez, chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said the House approved the measure during the previous 18th Congress but the Senate failed to pass it.

The full title of the Rodriguez bill is, “An Act establishing the archipelagic sea lanes in the Philippine archipelagic waters, prescribing the rights and obligations of foreign ships and aircraft exercising the right of archipelagic sea lane passage.”

Rodriguez said the proposed law would penalize arbitrary passage by Chinese and other foreign ships and planes in our archipelagic waters and the adjacent territorial waters.

The bill sets the coordinates designating the sea lanes and air routes for the continuous and expeditious sailing or flight of foreign ships and aircraft exercising the right of innocent passage.

The vessels or planes shall not deviate more than 25 nautical miles from the designated passage routes. They shall not make any activity other than transiting expeditiously.

Moreover, they shall not make any threat against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the Philippines.

Transiting ships and planes shall be prohibited from conducting any oceanography or hydrographic survey or research activity unless permitted by the Philippine government.

The proposed law authorizes the Philippine President to issue rules and regulations relating to the management and security of the country’s archipelagic and adjacent waters.

The bill imposes the penalty of imprisonment for at least six months and one day to two years and two months, or a fine of $1.2 million, or both upon the discretion of the court, on the ship master or captain of the plane or owner or operators of the vessel or plane.

If the owner is a corporation or a business entity, the penalty shall be imposed on its president.