Marcos: Bilateral talks, like with Indonesia on EEZ, might help in WPS
JAKARTA, Indonesia — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is open to using the strategy employed in the 2014 boundary agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia to resolve Manila's longstanding row with Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.
Marcos said he was "very interested" in the ongoing delimitation talks between the Philippines and Indonesia on the continental shelf, which both countries have agreed to accelerate during the president's state visit here. He expressed belief that the talks can be used for other similar negotiations.
"But also, not only for the issues between Indonesia and the Philippines, but I said, I can use that. We can use it even if we are talking to another country about similar delimitation talks," the president told reporters here.
"So, as I said, we should show it to the rest of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as an example, that it is something that actually — it can be done. It can be done as long as we talk with the bilateral agreement and so," he added.
READ: Philippines-Indonesia boundary agreement takes effect
Asked if he is inclined to present the same strategy to China to settle the West Philippine Sea dispute, Marcos replied: "Well, I think it is worthwhile to explore at the very least because it is one instance that this kind of discussion, we came to a conclusion and we came to a resolution."
"So we should try it. Now, hopefully it works. If it doesn’t work, we will try something else, but at least we have a beginning point. That's how I see it," he added.
The Philippines and Indonesia have overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Mindanao and Celebes Seas, and in the southern section of the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean.
The two countries are parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and are entitled to EEZ of 200 nautical miles. Under the UNCLOS, states have sovereign rights to explore and exploit, and conserve and manage natural resources within their EEZ.
In 2014, the two countries signed an agreement establishing the boundary between their overlapping EEZs, a move seen to promote bilateral cooperation in maritime security and preservation of natural resources. The boundary agreement entered into force in 2019 after the foreign ministers of the Philippines and Indonesia exchanged instruments of ratification in a ceremony held in Thailand.
READ: What the Philippines can learn from China's reaction to Pelosi's Taiwan visit
The Philippines is embroiled in a maritime dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea, the area in the South China Sea that is within the Philippines' EEZ and continental shelf.
China claims practically the entire South China Sea while the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the resource-rich area. In 2016, a Hague-based arbitral tribunal voided China's claim in the South China Sea but the Chinese government refused to recognize the ruling.
During his first state of the nation address, Marcos assured Filipinos that he will not abandon even a square inch of the Philippines' territory to any foreign power.
In the same interview, Marcos said he and Indonesian President Joko Widodo talked about their plans for the ASEAN conference in November as well as the positions of their respective countries on different issues.
"He (Widodo) raised the subject of Myanmar... We discussed what do you think ASEAN should do and we came up with some ideas. And I think this will be all raised in the... conferences in November," the President said.
Myanmar is facing a crisis triggered by a 2021 military power grab that has sparked nationwide protests and a mass civil disobedience movement.
RELATED: 'We can't go to war with China': Marcos echoes Duterte on West Philippine Sea
- Latest
- Trending
