‘Other nations expected to comply with proposed PH maritime zones law’

MANILA, Philippines – If the Philippines enacts a law defining its maritime zones, then other countries, including claimants in the South China Sea, are expected to  respect and comply with it, two government officials said on Monday.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the proposed law  is “essentially a reflection of the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).”

“And therefore, if we have a law like this which is essentially a reflection of an  international  convention where the members comprised practically the entire international community, there ’s an expectation of  an obligation on the part of these member states to  comply with our own laws since these are, as I said, a reflection essentially of an international  convention of which  they are members,” Guevarra said.

He was responding to queries of Senator  Francis Tolentino  during  the hearing  of the Senate special panel on Philippine  maritime and admiralty zones.

The committee led  by Tolentino has been tasked to  deliberate on  several measures establishing the Philippine maritime  jurisdiction.

Guevarra pointed out that the measure, if  enacted  into law, would then become the country’s  “domestic version of our international agreement.”

The Philippine Coast Guard, meanwhile,  believes the passage  of a maritime zones law, will further strengthen the country’s stand  on its  waters being claimed by other nations.

“With respect to the incident that happened on Ayungin Shoal, which falls within  the exclusive economic zone of our country, I think the passage of a  maritime zones (law) would clearly strengthen our defined zones in our maritime jurisdiction,”  said PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.

Two  Chineses vessels on Sunday hit two Philippine boats  that were on a  regular resupply mission  to the  BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal.

Like Guevarra,  Tarriela  also believes that other countries in the region and claimant states in the  South China Sea would be obliged to respect a Philippine maritime  zones law.

“But of course that’s a belief that we’d like to carry on,”  he said.

“But obviously there  are some  states  who would choose not  to  respect the provisions of the international  law particularly the  Unclos so I don’t want to be that pessimistic to  argue that all of the countries  would respect  our maritime zones even if we’re going to pass our maritime zones,”  the  PCG official  added

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