Lowell Bautista

International legal implications of the Philippine Treaty Limits on navigational rights in Philippine waters

Abstract The Philippine Treaty Limits define the colonial territorial limits of the Philippine Archipelago and impose serious restrictions on navigational rights and freedoms accorded to ships under the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC), which the Philippines has signed and ratified. This paper discusses these navigational rights and freedoms and analyses the inconsistencies between the navigational regimes provided for in LOSC and their implementation in various Philippine maritime zones of jurisdiction.

The Historical Background, Geographical Extent and Legal Bases of the Philippine Territorial Water Claim

The Philippine territorial water claim is unique in international law. On the basis of historic right of title, the Philippines claims a rectangular territorial sea fully enclosing the entirety of the archipelago, which at some points exceed 12 nautical miles in breadth. The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, which the Philippines signed and ratified, prescribes the maximum breadth of the territorial sea at 12 nautical miles. For this reason, the Philippine territorial sea claim has been criticized for being excessive. This paper will discuss and clarify the historical background, geographical extent, and legal bases of the Philippine territorial water claim.