Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said on Thursday, Sept. 5, that the proposed Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law would strengthen the Philippines' territorial integrity and national security.
He mentioned this after it was approved by the bicameral panel of the Senate and House of Representatives and subsequently ratified by the Senate on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Tolentino, the panel chair and author of the Senate version of the proposed Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law, will see its formal submission to Malacañang next week, along with a related proposed Maritime Zones Law that he also primarily authored and sponsored.
“These two laws combined would further define our territorial claims and jurisdiction over the waters around the Philippine archipelago based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and other international laws,” the senator said.
Tolentino explained that the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law establishes the country's archipelagic sea lanes and passages of foreign vessels and aircraft, while the Maritime Zones Law declares the Philippines' rights and entitlements over maritime zones.
Once the president signs these measures, the Senate official said both will be submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which will notify other countries of the new legislation.
“The IMO enforces strict compliance mechanisms, and if they (foreign vessels and aircraft, including military warships and aircraft) do not comply, we can deny them access under this measure," Tolentino said.
He noted that the measure implements the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by designating the country’s archipelagic sea lanes, and governing archipelagic sea lanes passage by foreign vessels and aircraft.
Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas, head of the House panel, emphasized the importance of the proposed measure in strengthening the country’s Hague arbitral award in 2016.
"We will work to ensure that under the 19th Congress, the President will sign the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law. This legislation is long overdue and one of the most critical measures we have undertaken," Arenas stated.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III and Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa joined Tolentino in the Senate panel.
For the House contingent, Arenas was joined by Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Representative Loreto ‘Ton’ Acheron, and Representative Raul ‘Boboy’ Tupas.