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Hope for Muslims’ claim to Sabah: Sen. Robinhood Padilla says the hope of the Muslims for their claim to Sabah has been revived because of the passage of Senate Bill No. 2492 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act. During Monday’s plenary session, February 26, 2024, Padilla expressed his appreciation to the sponsor Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino for defending the measure until its passage. “I just want to laud our comrade (Sen. Tolentino) because with his proposal, your Muslim brothers have been revived, because Republic Act 9522 was too quiet regarding our claim in Sabah. With this new proposal, Section 2 of RA 5446 came to life. This is something we will never forget because it is true that in your heart there is a place for Muslims,” Padilla said in Filipino. Section 2 of RA 5446 states “the definition of the baselines of the territorial sea of the Philippine Archipelago as provided in this Act is without prejudice to the delineation of the baselines of the territorial sea around the territory of Sabah, situated in North Borneo, over which the Republic of the Philippines has acquired dominion and sovereignty.” (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)