Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio says the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) does not need a fresh set of official coordinates, because its boundaries are already defined under international law.
In remarks responding to a recent debate over whether geographic coordinates are required to establish the nation’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, Carpio said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides clear limits on a coastal state’s EEZ — extending up to 200 nautical miles from its baseline.
Carpio noted that as a signatory to UNCLOS, the Philippines already has a legally recognized EEZ based on the convention’s provisions, making separate coordinate declarations unnecessary for asserting maritime entitlements.
The remarks were made in the context of a Senate discussion, where some lawmakers argued that without specific coordinates, parts of the West Philippine Sea could fall outside the legal scope of the Philippine EEZ. Carpio countered that, under UNCLOS, the baseline from which a country measures its maritime zones is already established — and from there, the 200-nautical-mile EEZ is determined.
Carpio has long been one of the most vocal proponents of upholding international maritime law in the country’s territorial and maritime disputes. He emphasizes that the 2016 arbitral ruling invalidating China’s “nine-dash line” claim reinforces the Philippines’ rights within its EEZ, including areas of the West Philippine Sea.
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