Can the Philippines redeem Sabah and the other contested areas?

( originally posted on http://www.northborneophilippines.blogspot.com/ )

MANILA, Philippines - will formally claim some contested areas that it considers part of its exclusive economic zone before the May 2009 deadline set by the United Nations.

The National Security Council on Tuesday met to discuss the matter in a bid to define in detail the country’s jurisdiction and to enable it to use the resources found in the contested areas.

"We shall advance the rights and interests of our nation in harnessing these rich resources," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a speech Tuesday in Malacañang.

Former Justice secretary and Solicitor General Estelito P. Mendoza, a lawyer of ousted President Joseph E. Estrada, has agreed to help the administration back up the country’s territorial claim.

"We appreciate that former secretary of Justice Estelito Mendoza has lent his unrivaled expertise in this field to help strengthen the Philippine claim on this very valuable portion of our national patrimony," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Among the contested areas being claimed by the Philippines are the Kalayaan Islands Group (Spratlys), Sabah, the Benham Rise, and other Expanded Continental Shelf (ECS) areas.

The Kalayaan Islands are also being claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Sabah is also being claimed by Malaysia.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), every country is given 200 nautical miles that would make up its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Each country possesses sovereign rights over the resources under its EEZ.

The Philippines needs to enact the law to affirm its commitment to the UNCLOS, which it ratified in 1982.

The international treaty states that signatory countries should define their territorial sea and internal waters.

However, no such measure is included in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council list of priority bills.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap warned that the country’s claim to the ECS may be forfeited if Congress fails to craft a law that will legitimize and strengthen the country’s stake on the baselines before the May 2009 deadline.

He noted that the ECS areas are rich in fishery and mineral resources. — A. D. B. Romero, BusinessWorld