In an explainer video, he enumerated the importance of the said maritime area as well as the facts surrounding the dispute.
Here are the facts surrounding the West Philippine Sea dispute, as explained by Sta. Ana.
What is the West Philippine Sea?
The West Philippine Sea pertains to maritime areas within 200 nautical miles on the western side of the Philippine archipelago. It includes portions of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal, and was officially named as ‘West Philippine Sea’ in 2012, under the administration of President Noynoy Aquino.
The West PH Sea and the South China Sea are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. The South China Sea is located south of China and Taiwan, east of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and Malaysia. Each country surrounding the South China Sea has a sovereign claim over portions of it.
Why is the West Philippine Sea important?
The WPS serves a vital role in achieving food security. Many Filipinos depend on it for their livelihood, with an average of over 318,000 metric tons of fish or around 11% of the total fish production in the Philippines comes from the West PH Sea.
It is also found to be rich in oil and natural gas. The United States Geological Survey estimates that up to 3 billion barrels of petroleum and 16.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are still undiscovered in the Spratly Islands.
The WPS and the South China Sea are also busy nautical highways. In 2016, 21% of global trade passes through the area.
What law governs the sea?
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was established in 1982. It is an International agreement that establishes the legal framework for the sea and oceans which defines states’ rights and obligations, with respect to the maritime environment.
Under the UNCLOS, coastal states are granted an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending up to 200 nautical miles from their shores. This grants countries the sovereign rights to explore, conserve, and manage natural resources; establish artificial islands and install structure; conduct marine scientific research; and protect and preserve marine environments.
In this case, the Philippines has sovereign rights over the waters within 200 nautical miles around it, including the West Philippine Sea. However, it must also be noted that no one owns the ocean, so freedom of navigation and overflight must be respected and ensured in these areas
China’s claims and actions on the West PH Sea
China claims almost the entire South China Sea within the nine-dash-line, which overlaps within the EEZs of other countries; asserting that it has been their traditional fishing grounds for thousands of years.
China has already reclaimed some features that are under the country’s EEZ. In the process, they have destroyed the marine ecosystems in the area through dredging to create artificial islands. The islands are now home to some of China’s military infrastructure
But despite strong opposition, China is not listening and has been using force to harass Filipinos in the WPS.
Legal rulings on the dispute
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, an independent judicial body established by the UNCLOS to adjudicate maritime disputes, ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring that the China’s nine-dash-line is illegal and the Philippines has the sole right to utilize and explore the resources in the WPS
However, China, despite being a signatory of the UNCLOS, refused to recognize the ruling of the arbitral court and did not participate in the proceedings. ITLOS, however, has no enforcement power and has no police to implement its rulings. Despite this, China must still abide by the rulings to avoid chaos and maintain international order.
‘RECOGNIZING PH’S SOVEREIGN RIGHTS’
With this, Sta. Ana emphasized the importance of knowing the facts behind the Philippines’ fight over the WPS. He also slammed China’s refusal to recognize the country’s right on the said territory.
“Countries around the world recognized the sovereign rights of the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea, and China must respect it too,” Sta. Ana said.
