Photo Release

December 6, 2021

Defining Ph maritime zones: Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III presides over the hearing of the Committee on Foreign Relations on Monday, December 6, 2021 on three Senate bills seeking to define and declare the maritime zones of the Philippines and a resolution condemning the hostilities of Chinese vessels in the Philippine exclusive economic zone. Pimentel, who authored one of the bills being tackled, underscored the need to establish the country's maritime regime "to attain its full geographical extent" in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Pimentel's Senate Bill No. 2459 proposes to harmonize the Philippines' existing statutes and the UNCLOS. "I find this very necessary in order to have a clear mandate for all our government agencies that will operationalize the same, such as our armed forces and civilian law enforcers," he explained. Securing and managing the country's maritime zones, including its marine resources, are of "utmost importance" amid threats, Pimentel said. (Screengrab/Senate PRIB)

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