A week after publicly suggesting the Philippines hand over territory to China, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday insisted that his statements on the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) were ‘misinterpreted.’
In an interview yesterday on Super Radyo dzBB, Marcoleta said his statements on Feb. 4 were “only theoretical” and pertained to “mapping.” He claimed the KIG would have to be given up in order to have the West Philippine Sea drawn on a map.
“Just so you can have a drawing (on the map), give it up. But I am not saying to give it up. It is ours. Now, if we are not going to give it up, then you cannot draw it,” he said.
Under the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (Republic Act No. 12064), the West Philippine Sea explicitly includes the maritime zones of the KIG and Scarborough Shoal, along with the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), archipelagic waters and territorial sea.
Furthermore, the country’s mapping authority already includes the West Philippine Sea on official maps, including the KIG as non-contiguous zones of Philippine jurisdiction.
Marcoleta added that the KIG is located beyond the country’s 200-nautical-mile EEZ, claiming that it would “appropriate the high seas” in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
However, Article 121 of UNCLOS allows any island group outside the EEZ to generate its own 12-nautical mile territorial sea without violating international law.
Marcoleta emphasized that he was only seeking a legal basis for the country’s territorial claims.
“We are simply fighting over the waters generated by these features, as our plan is to draw a West Philippine Sea,” he said.
Last year, then-senatorial candidate Marcoleta went on record claiming that there was no such thing as the West Philippine Sea.
“To be honest, even if you read our map or what, there is no [West Philippine Sea],” he said.
Written by Yuahn Zachary Guilas, Insight PH
Yuahn Zachary Guilas, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
