On Saturday, the Philippines made a significant diplomatic move by filing a claim with the United Nations to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, marking a pivotal moment in its ongoing maritime disputes with China. This action underscores Manila’s firm stance in asserting its exclusive rights to explore and exploit natural resources within areas it considers part of its maritime entitlements.
Marshall Louis Alferez, Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs at the Philippine Foreign Ministry, emphasized the strategic importance of securing the country’s future through this legal manifestation of its rights. The Philippines’ claim focuses on the West Palawan Region, which lies within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The South China Sea remains highly contested, with multiple countries, including China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, asserting overlapping territorial claims. China, however, claims almost the entire sea, disregarding the claims of other nations in the region. This vast expanse of water is not only crucial for international maritime trade—facilitating an estimated $3 trillion in trade annually—but also holds significant reserves of oil, natural gas, and valuable fish stocks, making it a critical geopolitical flashpoint.
The Philippines’ legal maneuver at the UN comes in the wake of a landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, asserting they have no legal basis under UNCLOS. Despite this ruling, China has continued to assert its claims aggressively, using military patrols, constructing artificial islands, and deploying coastguard vessels to assert control over disputed territories. Confrontations between Philippine government vessels and Chinese counterparts, including reported incidents involving water cannons, collisions, and the alleged use of military-grade lasers, underscore the volatile nature of the situation.
The Philippines’ decision to file for an extended continental shelf follows a meticulous scientific and technical assessment of the seabed and subsoil in the West Philippine Sea, a part of the broader South China Sea region. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved this submission, aiming to delineate the outer limits of the Philippines’ continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles from its baselines. This process is crucial for solidifying the country’s legal rights under international law, despite persistent objections and challenges from China.
This diplomatic initiative reflects Manila’s steadfast commitment to upholding its sovereign rights and safeguarding its national interests amid complex geopolitical dynamics in the South China Sea. The outcome of this UN filing is expected to have far-reaching implications for regional stability and maritime security, influencing international perceptions and actions in one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime domains.