MANILA, Philippines – Ipinasa na ng Senado sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang Archipelagic Sea Lanes Bill (Senate Bill No. 2665), isang landmark measure na naglalayong palakasin ang territorial integrity at national security ng bansa.
Sa 22 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, at zero abstentions, nagkaisa ang Upper Chamber na aprubahan noong Martes ang panukalang batas na nagtatalaga ng Archipelagic Sea Lanes (ASLs) sa buong bansa.
“With the passage of this measure, Congress has moved a step closer in putting our archipelagic house in order,” giit ni Senate Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino, ang pangunahing may akda at sponsor ng SBN 2665.
“Designating ASLs will solidify the country’s maritime domain and prevent arbitrary passage in the Philippine archipelago by foreign vessels and aircraft,” aniya.
“We will be able to better monitor the movement of foreign vessels and aircraft and ask them to leave should they pose a threat to our peace and order, and national security,” dagdag pa ng senador.
Sinabi ng senador na ang pagpasa sa panukala kasama ang Maritime Zones Act ay ginagawang mas apurahan dahil sa dalas at lumulubhang agresibong pag-uugali ng China.
“While before, their aggression was only limited within the waters at the West Philippine Sea, just recently, on August 8…two aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force performed dangerous maneuvers and dropped flares near a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducting a maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc,” sabi ni Tolentino.
Ipinaliwanag niya na ang pagtatalaga ng mga ASL ay isang pagpapasya na maaaring gamitin ng Pilipinas, bilang isang kapuluan at isang estadong partido sa United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), sa ilalim ng Artikulo 53 ng international agreement.
Tinukoy ng SBN 2665 ang mga ASL bilang “designated sea lanes in the archipelagic waters and air routes thereabove through which foreign vessels may exercise the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage.”
Tinukoy din ng panukala ang “right of innocent passage” bilang “continuous and expeditious passage of foreign vessels through the territorial sea that not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the Philippines.”
Nagpahayag ng kumpiyansa si Tolentino na ang bansa ay maaaring makakuha ng mga benepisyong pang-ekonomiya sa pamamahala ng mga ASL nito. RNT
