Congress ratifies Baselines bill

MANILA, Philippines - Congress ratified yesterday the bill defining the country’s archipelagic baselines as required under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), excluding the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal.

The Senate and the House unanimously ratified the bicameral conference committee report a day after it was approved by the panel.

The report was presented to the floor by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who led the Senate contingent in the bicameral committee.

Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco led the presentation of the bicameral report for ratification in the House of Representatives.

The Senate version of the baselines bill was approved and ratified.

The version came from Enrile and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who proposed to exclude the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and Scarborough Shoal from the country’s archipelagic baselines.

Enrile and Santiago stressed the Senate’s version defining the country’s territorial baselines complies with the requirements under the UNCLOS.

The Philippines has until May 13 of this year to define its baselines or it will lose its extended continental shelf (ECS), which will become part of the “heritage of mankind.”

Enrile said the House contingent led by Cuenco contributed the phrase “under the Republic of the Philippines” after “regime of islands” in Section 2 of the bill to assert the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over KIG and Scarborough Shoal.

The “regime of islands” refers to the areas over which the Philippines exercises “sovereignty and jurisdiction.” This includes KIG and Scarborough Shoal.

Enrile and Santiago earlier shared the view that it would be futile to include the KIG or Spratly Islands inside the archipelagic baseline since several claimant countries already occupy the islands.

Enrile explained the Senate considered KIG and Scarborough Shoal “regime of islands” to avoid possible controversies due to the claims by other countries over these areas.

Santiago also explained the need for the Philippines to define its baselines.

Santiago said it would be best for the Philippines to adopt a bill that would be acceptable to the international community under the UNCLOS.

She said that under UNCLOS, an archipelago country like the Philippines is allowed to draw straight baselines from the outermost points of the outermost islands, provided that the baselines adhere to the natural configuration of the archipelago.

Enrile said once the bill is signed into law by President Arroyo, the Philippines could invoke the provisions of international law in delineating the boundaries of Philippine territory.

Once enacted, Enrile said the Department of Foreign Affairs will then deposit the measure with the United Nations for registration as required by the international convention.