Tolentino not expecting China’s instant recognition of PH maritime laws

Majority Leader Francis Tolentino during one of the Senate investigations. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino said he does not expect China’s instant recognition of the newly signed Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

Earlier on Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Republic Act (RA) No. 12064, also known as the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, and the RA 12065, or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

READ: Marcos signs laws charting PH maritime zones, sea lanes

In a Palace briefing after the signing ceremony, Tolentino said he is not expecting an instant recognition of the law from China “because they have been disregarding international law.”

The senator, who chaired the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones and a principal author of RA 12064, said that whether China recognizes these laws or not, it will help Filipino fishermen know where to pass through the archipelagic sea lanes, negating possible accidents.

“This will help us because our fishermen know where the large ships will pass. Our small boats won’t get hit by the big ships anymore. We’ve already reduced the risk of accidents,” he said in Filipino.

He added that all the information in the arbitral ruling was included in RA 12064.

Meanwhile, Atty. Fretti Ganchoon of the Department of Justice noted that as a state, the Philippines has the right to enact its laws, even though other states do not recognize them.

“The effectivity of your law does not depend on the recognition of other states,” Ganchoon said.

She pointed out that the newly signed laws declare the Philippines’s complete set of maritime zones and delineate the boundaries of these maritime zones, which could help law enforcement agencies enforce pertinent maritime laws.

“This would give clarity to the enforcement of our laws, especially in the West Philippine Sea,” she added.

These laws align with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the “Chicago Convention.” — Emmanuel John Abris, INQUIRER.net intern