Saguban, Angel Khaille L.

Legal Research

1. Define Internal Waters of the Philippines.

Art. I, Sec. 2 of the 1987 Constitution defines the Internal Waters of the
Philippines as a) waters on the landward side of the archipelagic baselines not forming
part of Archipelagic Waters under Section 4 hereof and delimited in accordance with
Article 50 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
and/or (b) waters on the landward side of the baseline of the territorial sea of territories
outside of the 14 archipelagic baselines.

2. Define Territorial Sea.

Sec. 5 of our Constitution states that the Territorial Sea of the Philippines shall be
the belt of sea measured twelve (12) nautical miles from the baselines or from the low-
water line, as the case maybe. The Philippines exercises sovereignty over its territorial
sea and the airspace over it, as II well as its seabed and subsoil, in accordance with
UNCLOS and other existing laws and treaties.

3. . Define Territorial Sea. 3. Define Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the 20 Philippines refers to the waters
beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea and up to the extent of two-hundred (200)
nautical miles from the baselines or from the low-water line, as the case may be (Sec. 7,
1987 Constitution).
4. Having learned the definition of the above terms, do you think the action of the President
in shelving the PCA ruling correct?

No. The president may have his reasons for his actions, the Philippines, however,
has every right to implement its sovereignty over these waters as emphasized by our
Constitution. On my opinion, a nation to be respected, we must be recognized first. We
must not be swayed, easily threaten or sell our nation short.

5. If you are the President will you enforce the ruling? If no, why? If yes, how will you
enforce the ruling of the PCA.
Yes. Personally, I believe that the Philippines cannot stand on its own because it
fails to try to stand on its own. We always rely on other countries’ resources tending
to overlook how bountiful this nation is which always lead us to more treaties and
debt. The unanimous award by the PCA in the South China Sea case rendered in
favor of the Philippines. The ruling by the Hague Tribunal on July 12, 2016, which
invalidated China’s expansive claims over the entire South China Sea and upheld and
Philippines’ rights over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thus deeming the
case “non-negotiable”.