In the article titled “Maritime Strategy: President Marcos’ Call to Action at the UN,” a notable maritime expert has encouraged Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to submit a claim to the United Nations for an extended continental shelf in the West Philippines Sea (WPS). This recommendation is not a bid for territorial ownership but rather a legal maneuver to establish the Philippines’ entitlement to a continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles in the contested WPS.
Jay Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, communicated this advice, emphasizing that the submission should be made to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’s Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). This approach was previously suggested to former Philippine Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, though no action was taken.
The Philippines has had a history of such submissions, notably the successful claim of Benham Rise in April 2012, which was recognized by the UN commission as an extension of the country’s continental shelf. However, the situation in the WPS remains tense, with Philippine vessels frequently encountering aggressive actions from Chinese vessels. This situation is complicated by overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea by several countries, including China, which has been adamant in its claims despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating these claims.
This article underscores the ongoing geopolitical challenges in the South China Sea and the Philippines’ efforts to assert its maritime rights in the face of regional tensions.