What is the extent of our Philippine territory? (a prelude to the principle of territoriality)

Summary

This script delves into the concept of territoriality in Philippine criminal law, emphasizing that penal laws apply only within the nation's territory. It outlines the extent of the Philippines' national territory, including its archipelago, internal waters, and airspace, as defined by the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act 9522. The video also discusses maritime zones such as the territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf, highlighting their legal implications. Additionally, it touches on historical territorial disputes involving Scarborough Shoal, Spratly Islands, and Sabah, asserting their inclusion in Philippine territory despite ongoing claims.

Takeaways

• 📜 The principle of territoriality in Philippine criminal law means that penal laws are enforceable only within the country's territory, even if the perpetrators are Filipinos.
• 🌏 The extent of Philippine territory is defined by Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution, including the Philippine archipelago, its terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, and all territories under Philippine sovereignty or jurisdiction.
• 🏝️ The archipelagic doctrine of territoriality grants the Philippines exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over the islands and waters within its archipelago, including internal waters.
• 📏 The delineation of the Philippine territorial sea is based on Republic Act 9522, which amended the method of drawing straight baselines to determine the extent of the territorial sea.
• 🌊 The territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline and includes the airspace above, seabed, and subsoil, where the Philippines exercises exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction.
• 🔍 Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands (Kalayaan Island Group) were included in the Philippine territory after the Treaty of Washington in 1900, correcting the omission from the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
• 🗺️ The Mourinho-Villard map of 1734 is a historical basis for the inclusion of Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands as part of Philippine territory during the Spanish regime.
• 🇵🇭 Sabah, located in Borneo, is claimed by the Philippines based on historical ties and a lease agreement, despite being part of Malaysia after a referendum in 1963.
• 🚫 The contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), continental shelf, and high seas are not considered part of the Philippine territory, with varying degrees of jurisdiction and rights.
• 🛳️ The Philippines has exclusive rights to resources within its EEZ, extending 200 nautical miles from the baseline, including the right to establish artificial islands and conduct marine research.
• 🌐 The high seas are beyond national jurisdiction and are considered the common heritage of mankind, where all states can conduct peaceful activities.

Q & A

What is the principle of territoriality in Philippine criminal law?

The principle of territoriality in Philippine criminal law means that the penal laws of the Philippines are enforceable only within its territory. It implies that crimes committed outside the Philippines cannot be penalized under its laws, even if the perpetrator and victim are Filipinos.

What does Article 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution state about the national territory?

Article 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, including its terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains.

What is the significance of the archipelagic doctrine of territoriality for the Philippines?

The archipelagic doctrine of territoriality is significant for the Philippines because it allows the country to exercise exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over all the islands and bodies of water around, between, and connecting the group of islands that form the Philippine archipelago.

How did the imaginary blue line, which delineates the Philippine archipelago, come about?

The imaginary blue line came about based on Republic Act 9522, which amended Republic Act 3046, mandating the drawing of straight baselines to delineate the extent of the Philippine territorial sea, in compliance with the Philippines' obligations under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

What are the maritime zones regulated by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea?

The maritime zones regulated by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea include the territorial waters (12 nautical miles from the baselines), the contiguous zone (24 nautical miles from the baselines), and the exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles from the baselines).

Why was the Scarborough Shoal not included in the original Treaty of Paris between Spain and the United States?

The Scarborough Shoal was not included in the original Treaty of Paris because the treaty used an imaginary rectangular line to delineate the extent of Spain's territory, which did not encompass the shoal, located just outside the treaty line.

How was the error of not including the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys in the Treaty of Paris corrected?

The error was corrected in 1900 with the signing of the Treaty of Washington, where Spain clarified that it had relinquished to the U.S. all title and claim to any and all islands belonging to the Philippine archipelago located outside the lines of the Treaty of Paris, including the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands.

What is the basis for the Philippines claiming Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys as part of its territory?

The basis for the Philippines claiming Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys as part of its territory is the 1734 Mourinho Villard map of the Philippines, which was the official Spanish government map showing the extent of Philippine territory during the Spanish regime, including these islands.

What is the historical background of the Philippines' claim over Sabah?

The Philippines claims Sabah based on historical accounts and the 1878 lease treaty between the Sultanate of Sulu and the British North Borneo Company. The Philippines maintains that the agreement was a lease, not a sale of land, and thus continues to claim Sabah as part of its territory.

Why are the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, and the high seas not considered part of the Philippine national territory?

These maritime zones are not considered part of the Philippine national territory because they fall outside the country's sovereignty. While the Philippines can exercise certain sovereign rights within these zones, such as resource exploitation and law enforcement related to specific rights, it does not have full sovereignty as it does within its territorial sea and internal waters.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Principle of Territoriality and Philippine National Territory

The script introduces the principle of territoriality in Philippine criminal law, which asserts that the nation's penal laws are enforceable only within its territory. It explains that even if both the perpetrator and victim are Filipinos, a crime committed outside the country cannot be prosecuted in the Philippines. The extent of the Philippine territory is defined by the 1987 Constitution, encompassing the Philippine archipelago, its waters, and other territories under Philippine sovereignty or jurisdiction. The script also discusses the archipelagic doctrine of territoriality, which grants the Philippines exclusive sovereignty over the internal waters around and between its islands. Additionally, it explains the delineation of the territorial sea based on Republic Act 9522, which complies with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, establishing maritime zones such as the territorial waters, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone.

05:02

🏝️ Historical Territorial Disputes and the Philippine Archipelago

This paragraph delves into the historical aspects of the Philippine territory, focusing on the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and the subsequent Treaty of Washington in 1900. It discusses the initial omission of Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands (Kalayaan Island Group) from the original treaty and their correction in the Treaty of Washington, which clarified Spain's relinquishment of all islands belonging to the Philippine archipelago. The script also mentions the 1734 Mourino Villar Map, which showed these territories as part of the Philippines during the Spanish regime. It raises the question of Sabah, a territory claimed by the Philippines since 1961, and provides historical context, including its rule under the Sultanate of Brunei and the Sultanate of Sulu, and the 1878 lease agreement with the British North Borneo Company.

10:05

🌊 Understanding the Territorial Sea and Adjacent Maritime Zones

The script explains the concept of the territorial sea, which extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline and is under the exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines. It describes the seabed, subsoil, insular shelves, and other submarine areas as part of the national territory. The contiguous zone, extending up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline, allows the Philippines to enforce customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws. The exclusive economic zone (EEZ), extending 200 nautical miles from the baseline, grants the Philippines exclusive rights to resources within the zone, including the seabed and subsoil. The script also touches on the continental shelf, the edge of the continent under the ocean, and its economic rights, and distinguishes these zones from the high seas, which are beyond national jurisdiction.

15:08

🌐 Sovereignty and Jurisdiction in the Philippine Territorial Waters

This paragraph clarifies the extent of the Philippines' sovereignty and jurisdiction over various maritime zones. It emphasizes that the territorial sea, including the airspace above it and the seabed, is part of the national territory. The script also mentions disputed territories such as Scarborough Shoal, the Spratlys, and Sabah, asserting that they are considered part of the national territory despite the disputes. It distinguishes these areas from the contiguous zone, EEZ, continental shelf, and high seas, which, while under certain sovereign rights, are not part of the national territory and do not confer sovereignty.

Keywords

💡Territoriality

The principle of territoriality refers to the jurisdictional scope of a state's laws, indicating that they are enforceable only within the state's territory. In the video, this concept is crucial as it sets the stage for discussing the limitations of Philippine criminal law, emphasizing that crimes committed outside the country cannot be prosecuted under Philippine law, even if the perpetrators are Filipinos.

💡Philippine Archipelago

The Philippine Archipelago is the collection of islands that constitute the Philippines. It is significant in the video as it defines the geographical extent of the national territory where Philippine laws, including criminal laws, apply. The script mentions that the archipelago, along with its internal waters, forms part of the Philippines' sovereignty and jurisdiction.

💡Internal Waters

Internal waters are the waters on the internal side of the baseline of a nation's territory, which includes bays, sounds, and other bodies of water. In the context of the video, the internal waters of the Philippines are part of the national territory where the country's laws are enforceable, emphasizing the importance of these waters in defining the extent of the country's sovereignty.

💡Archipelagic Doctrine of Territoriality

The archipelagic doctrine of territoriality is a principle that treats an archipelagic state as a single entity for the purpose of drawing baselines for territorial seas. The video explains that under this doctrine, the Philippines exercises exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over the waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, which is essential for understanding the application of Philippine laws within its maritime zones.

💡Republic Act 9522

Republic Act 9522 is a Philippine law that amended Republic Act 3046, providing for the drawing of straight baselines to delineate the territorial sea of the Philippines. The video script highlights this law as the legal basis for the imaginary blue line on the map, which represents the extent of the Philippine territorial sea and is crucial for determining where Philippine laws apply.

💡UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international treaty that outlines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans. The video discusses how the Philippines' maritime zones, such as the territorial waters, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone, are defined in accordance with UNCLOS, which is pivotal for understanding the country's maritime jurisdiction.

💡Territorial Sea

The territorial sea is a belt of coastal waters extending at least 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a nation's territory. In the video, the territorial sea of the Philippines is defined by the straight baseline method, and it is within this zone that the country exercises exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction, which is vital for the enforcement of its penal laws.

💡Contiguous Zone

The contiguous zone is a maritime zone that extends beyond the territorial sea, typically up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline. While not part of the national territory, the video explains that the Philippines can exercise jurisdiction in this zone to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws.

💡Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a maritime zone that extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline of a nation's territory. The video describes the EEZ as an area where the Philippines has exclusive rights to exploit and conserve marine resources, engage in offshore energy generation, and conduct marine scientific research, but it does not fall under the country's sovereignty.

💡Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys

Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands, also known as the Kalayaan Island Group, are territories claimed by the Philippines. The video script explains the historical and legal basis for the Philippines' claim over these territories, which are part of the national territory despite being disputed by other countries. These areas are significant in the context of the video as they illustrate the complexities of territorial claims and their implications for the application of Philippine laws.

💡Sabah

Sabah is a territory located on the northeastern tip of Borneo, claimed by the Philippines since 1961. The video provides a historical account of Sabah's governance and the basis for the Philippines' claim, which is rooted in an 1878 lease treaty and the historical gift of the territory from the Sultan of Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu. Sabah is relevant to the video's theme as it exemplifies the ongoing territorial disputes and their impact on the definition of national territory.

Highlights

The principle of territoriality in Philippine criminal law dictates that penal laws are enforceable only within the national territory.

Philippine national territory is defined by the 1987 Constitution, including the Philippine archipelago and all islands, waters, and airspace within.

The archipelagic doctrine of territoriality grants the Philippines exclusive sovereignty and jurisdiction over its islands and internal waters.

Republic Act 9522 and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea define the maritime zones around the Philippines, including territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone.

The Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands were historically part of Philippine territory, despite being disputed.

The Treaty of Washington corrected the omission of Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands in the Treaty of Paris.

The 1734 Mourinho Villard map of the Philippines provides historical evidence of the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands as part of Philippine territory.

Saba, located in Borneo, has been claimed by the Philippines since 1961 based on historical treaties and regional sovereignty.

The Philippines maintains its claim over Saba based on the 1878 lease treaty and historical accounts, despite it being part of Malaysia.

The territorial sea of the Philippines extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline, with full sovereignty and jurisdiction.

The contiguous zone allows the Philippines to enforce customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline.

The exclusive economic zone extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline, granting the Philippines exclusive rights to marine resources.

The continental shelf is considered part of the continent and grants the Philippines rights to non-living resources and shellfish.

The high seas are beyond national jurisdiction and are considered the common heritage of all mankind, not part of Philippine territory.

The Philippine national territory does not include the contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, or high seas, despite having certain rights within them.

Transcripts

what is the extent of our national

territory

this question must be answered first as

a prelude to our discussion on the

second characteristic of philippine

criminal law which is the principle of

territoriality

what is this principle of territoriality

the principle of territoriality simply

means that penal laws of the philippines

are enforceable only within its

territory

for example

if x kills y

in the u.s

x cannot be penalized here because the

crime was committed

outside of our territory

this is so even if both x and y are

filipinos

what is that the extent

of our philippine territory

article 1 of the 1987 philippine

constitution states that an echo

the national territory comprises the

philippine archipelago with all the

islands and waters embraced therein and

all other territories over which the

philippines has sovereignty or

jurisdiction

consisting of its terrestrial fluvial

and aerial domains

including its territorial sea

the seabed the subsoil the insular

shelves and other submarine areas

the waters around between and connecting

the islands of the archipelago

regardless of their breed and dimensions

form part of the internal waters of the

philippines

the national territory of the

philippines

therefore comprises

the philippine archipelago with all the

islands and waters embraced therein

consisting of its terrestrial fluvial

and aerial domains

when i say aerial domain it means the

airspace above the land and the waters

of a state

by the way

an archipelagic state like the

philippines is composed of a group of

islands forming a single unit

the waters around between and connecting

this group of islands form part of the

internal waters of the archipelagic

state

under the archipelagic doctrine of

territoriality

the philippines

has exclusive sovereignty and

jurisdiction over all these islands and

bodies of water

around between and connecting this group

of islands

philippine peanut laws therefore apply

whenever a crime is committed within the

archipelagic state like the philippines

now i'm showing to you a map of our

beloved philippines

surrounded by several lines

some are

rectangular lines diagonal lines

and these lines are of various colors

what do you think these lines are for by

the way they are imaginary lines

now all the islands and bodies of water

inside that imaginary blue line

form part of the philippine archipelago

over which

our government exercises exclusive

sovereignty and jurisdiction

now how did that imaginary blue line

come about

this is based on

republic act

9522 which amended republic act 3046

the law that mandated the drawing of

straight baselines in order to delineate

the extent of our territorial sea

the enactment of republic act 9522

in turn

was in compliance with the philippines

obligation under the u.n convention on

the law of the sea

the third on clause

which is a

multilateral treaty regulating

sea use rights over the following

maritime zones

the territorial waters which is 12

nautical miles from the baselines

the contiguous zone which is 24 nautical

miles

also from the baselines

and

the exclusive economic zone which is 200

nautical miles also from the baselines

the baseline i am talking about is the

blue colored line

surrounding the

philippine archipelago

as what you see in the picture

i am showing to you here a

map of our beloved philippines

surrounded by several lines some are

diagonal some are rectangular

and represented by

or represented in several colors

but first i want you to focus on

[Music]

the imaginary blue line

surrounding the entire philippine

archipelago was shaped after the

philippine archipelago

what do you think that line is for

that line is used to determine the

extent of our

territorian sea

that is the only way by which to

determine the extent of our territorial

sea because

the philippines is an archipelagic state

which is

a state composed of

many islands

and under the doctrine

of or under the archipelagic doctrine of

territoriality

an archipelagic state

must be

considered as a single unit

you will have to draw

separate bass lines

and that would be

absurd

because

the

state is considered as one single unit

it cannot be considered as separate

states

and it would be easier

of course to determine the extent of the

territorial sea

if

the archipelago

or if this group of islands

is considered only as a single unit

now

bucket pattern

after the shape of the philippines

this is so because

pursuant to our

obligations under the un convention on

the law of the sea

we have to use this straight baseline

method of delineating the territorial

sea

and this straight baseline method

consists of drawing straight lines

connecting the outermost

islands of the philippines

without departing to any appreciable

extent from the general direction of the

course

that is why

the

straight bass lines

are shaped

similar to the philippine archipelago

and

it is from

this baseline

by which we can now determine the extent

of our territorial sea

which is 12 nautical miles from that

baseline

and for purposes of criminal law

all the islands and bodies of water

inside that imaginary blue line

form part of the philippine archipelago

over which

the philippines

exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction

the national territory of the

philippines is also comprised of all

other territories over which the

philippines has sovereignty or

jurisdiction

when spain ceded the philippine islands

to the united states pursuant to the

treaty of paris of 1898

the two countries delineated the extent

of spain's territory by drawing an

imaginary rectangular line

the

rectangular line colored black you see

in the picture

such that

all those found within the said treaty

line

was what spain

seeded to the u.s in the amount of 20

million us dollars

unfortunately this was a mistake because

the drawing of such rectangular line did

not include the scarborough shoal

locally known as bajo de masillo which

is located just outside the treaty line

i am referring to that small that

pointed to by that blue green arrow in

the picture

as well as the kalayaan island group

or more popularly known as the spratlys

i am referring to that group of islands

enclosed by that green line below the

scarborough shoal

now this error of not including the

scarborough shoal

and the spratneys

was eventually corrected in 1900 when

the us and spain signed another treaty

the treaty of washington where in spain

clarified that it had also relinquished

to the u.s all title and claim of title

which spain had to any and all islands

belonging to the philippine archipelago

located outside the lines of the treaty

of paris

these territories lying outside the said

treaty line included the scarborough

shoal and the spratly islands or

the kalayaan island group

question

what is our basis for saying that the

scarborough shoal and the spratlys

were already part of the philippine

territory at the time spain ceded the

philippine islands to the us

the basis here is the

1734

mourinho villard map of the philippines

which is the official spanish government

map showing the extent of philippine

territory during the spanish regime

i am referring to the

map

shown

at the right side of your screen and as

you can see there are two arrows

there the

arrow at the top

points to the scarborough show

while the arrow below points to the

kalayaan island group or the spratty

islands

so as early as 1734

these islands

were already

considered part of

philippine territory which were under

the control of spain at that time

another question

what about saba

is saba part of philippine territory

saba is located at the northeastern tip

of borneo as what you can see in the

picture

and lies about 500 kilometers from the

philippines

although malaysia controls the sad

territory the philippines has laid claim

over saba since 1961.

let us go through some historical dates

here

in the early 1500s

saba was originally ruled by the

sultanate of brunei under the rule of

sultan bulkya

in 1658

sabah

was seeded to the sultanate of sulu as a

gift for helping the sultanate of brunei

settle and suppress a reward

in 1878

a contract of lease was entered into

between the sultanate of sulu

which controlled saba at the time

and the british north borneo company

under the agreement the british company

could occupy the eastern half of sabah

indefinitely

as long as it paid a sum of money to the

sultanate in the amount of five thousand

dollars and money

in 1946

when world war ii ended

sabah was handed over by the british

company to the british government and

was made a crown colony of

the united kingdom

in 1962

then president justin macapagal filed a

claim over saba against the uk which had

possession of the said territory at that

time

that was the first official attempt by

the philippines

to claim ownership of sabah

now in 1963

in a referendum

the people of sabbah however voted in

favor of joining the federation of

malaysia

they chose malaysia

or rather they chose to be part of

malaysia and not the philippines

both malaysia and the united kingdom

regarded the contract between the

sultanate of sulu and the british

company as a sale of land

the philippines however maintains its

territorial claim over sabah

based on that

1878 lease treaty

and based on the historical account that

sabah is a gift from the sultan of

brunei to the sultan of sulu which is

now a region and part of the sovereign

territory of the philippines

so you insist on philippine government

is that young agreement

that was entered into between

the sultan of sulu and the british

company was merely a contract of lease

and not a sale of land or not a sale of

saba to

the said company

and that is the reason why the

philippines

continues to

claim saba as part of its territory

our national territory also comprises

the territorial sea from the name itself

no matakita

the baselines no

the nautical miles from the baseline

so as you can see in the picture

everything from the baseline

to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical

miles is considered the territorial sea

where our country the philippines

exercises exclusive sovereignty and

jurisdiction

these rights extend not only on the

surface but also to the seabed and some

soil

as well as the

airspace

also comprising part of our national

territory are the seabed the subsoil

the insular shells and other submarine

areas under the territorial sea and

under our internal waters

or archipelagic waters

when you say seabed it refers to the top

surface of the earth in seas and oceans

also known as the sea floor or the ocean

floor

so you turn the seabed

it is synonymous with the terms seafloor

or ocean floor

some soil refers to everything beneath

the surface soil and the seabed

the insular shells refer to the

submerged portions of an island

while the term other submarine areas

refer to all areas under the territorial

sea like the sea mount throw trench

basin deep back shoal and reef

question what about the contiguous zone

the exclusive economic zone the

continental shelf

the high seas

are these maritime zones still part of

philippine territory

my quick answer to that is no

as to why

they are no longer part of philippine

territory

we will discover as we go through this

and the succeeding slides

let us start first with the contiguous

zone

the contiguous zone extends up to 24

nautical miles from the baseline as what

you can see in the picture

or 12 nautical miles from the

territorial sea

although not part of the territory

the coastal state like the philippines

may still exercise jurisdiction to

prevent infringement of customs

fiscal immigration or sanitary laws

next is the exclusive economic zone or

eez

the exclusive economic zone extends 200

nautical miles from the baseline

please refer to the picture at your

right

in this zone

a coastal state like the philippines has

the exclusive right to

exploit or conserve any resources found

within the water

or on the seafloor or under the sea

floors subsoil

engage in offshore energy generation

from the waves currents and wind within

the said easy

and

establish and use artificial islands

installations and structures and conduct

marine scientific research

here

the coastal state

only has law enforcement capacity to

protect the above rights because when i

say exclusive

no other state

has the right to

exploit

the resources found within

the exclusive economic zone

if some other state or if some other

person

exploits the resources found within the

eez

then

the coastal state like the philippines

has jurisdiction to

enforce its right

to the exclusive use

of such

marine zone or area

the continental shelf

the continental shelf is

the edge of a continent that lies under

the ocean

as you can see in the picture

now continents

are the seven main divisions of land on

earth

the continental shelf extends from the

coastline of a continent

to a drop of point called the shelf

brick

from the brick the shelf descends toward

the deep ocean floor

in what is called the continental slope

again

the picture shows what i am describing

about

even though

or even if the continental shelf

is under water

a continental shelf is considered part

of a continent

the actual boundary of the continent is

not its coastline

but the edge of the continental shelf

now the economic rights within the

continental shelf

extend only to

non-living resources and sedentary

living resources such as shellfish

it also allows the coastal state to

build artificial islands installations

and structures

lay submarine cables and pipelines and

conduct marine research

as with the exclusive economic zone the

coastal state only has

low enforcement capacity to protect the

above rights

what about the high seas

the high seas is the ocean surface

beyond the exclusive economic zone

as the common heritage of all mankind

the isis is beyond any national

jurisdiction

all states for that matter can conduct

activities in the isis so long as they

are for peaceful purposes such as

transit marine science and undersea

exploration

since as a general rule our penal laws

can only be enforced within philippine

territory

it is imperative that

we are able to determine

or ascertain what comprises our national

territory

they are

to repeat the philippine archipelago and

its internal waters meaning everything

inside the baselines including the

airspace above the said islands and

waters

the philippine territory or our national

territory is also comprised of

all those territories over which the

philippines has sovereignty or

jurisdiction like the scarborough shoal

the spratlys and

sabah

although take note

these

islands

are

disputed territories

but even if they are

under dispute as far as the philippines

is concerned they are part of

the national territory

comprising the national territory is

also the territorial sea including the

air space above it and

the sea bed

the subsoil

the insular shells and other submarine

areas under the territorial sea and

internal waters

again

the contiguous zone

the exclusive economic zone

the continental shelf

the high seas

as well as the airspace above them

are not part of our national territory

take note of that

since they are not part of our national

territory

we do not have sovereignty over these

areas

at best we can only exercise sovereign

rights

to exclusively fish and enjoy the marine

resources in the contiguous zone and in

the exclusive economic zone

including the continental shelf below

the contiguous zone and the exclusive

economic zone for up to 200 nautical

miles from the baselines

of course no country or state

exercises sovereignty

or sovereign rights in the ics

okay