Lacson: PHL exercises sovereign rights, not sovereignty over country’s EEZ

(File photo) Senator Panfilo Lacson  (Eagle News Service)

Agrees with President Duterte that 2016 Hague ruling is “unenforceable”

(Eagle News) – Senator Panfilo Lacson said that he agreed with President Rodrigo Duterte’s view that the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and not sovereignty over areas within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

He said that it was also good that President Duterte had “corrected himself” on the issue of foreign fishing vessels in the Philippines EEZ.

“It is a good development that the President has subsequently corrected himself by saying that he cannot prevent incursions of foreign fishing vessels within the Exclusive Economic Zone because even if he wants to, we don’t have the capability nor the capacity to do it, not to mention that the arbitral ruling is unenforceable in the first place; and that the Philippines merely exercises sovereign right, not sovereignty over the areas within the EEZ,” the senator said in a statement.

But Lacson said that allowing foreign vessels to fish in the area is different from “not being able to prevent” them from fishing there.

“I agree with the President in this regard. Having said that, to allow is not the same as not being able to prevent,” he said.

Lacson also agreed with Duterte in “calling on the United States and other western allies to help check China” in the West Philippine Sea.

He said this is “proper given the prevailing circumstances, contrary to some narrow-minded critics that such move is a sure formula for war.”

The senator said that maintaining the balance of power in the West Philippine Sea would also “prevent rather than ignite war.”

He said war between the two superpowers would not benefit anyone, even either China or the US.

“No two superpowers would go to war in this day and age of nuclear technology for the simple reason of its ‘zero-sum’ outcome,” Lacson noted.

-Duterte hits SC justice Carpio for remarks on EEZ –

President Duterte, on Wednesday night, called out critics, including Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for saying that it was unconstitutional for the Philippine government to allow China or other foreign fishing vessels to fish in the country’s EEZ.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Carpio, citing the Constitution, said that the country’s exclusive economic zone should be for the “exclusive” use and enjoyment of Filipino citizens.

“The Philippines has exclusive sovereign right to exploit all the fish, oil, gas and other mineral resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone. This sovereign right belongs to the Filipino people, and no government official can waive this sovereign right of the Filipino people without their consent,” Carpio said.

He also cited Article X, Section II of the Constitution.

“The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.”

Duterte said Carpio was “stupid” for making this conclusion.

“Sabi ko nga, alam mo Justice Carpio, napaka-estupido mo. That is why hanggang diyan ka lang talaga. He’s from Davao. Basta noon pa, hindi ako bilib diyan,” Duterte said.

He said that all that Carpio and the other opposition senators want is to make trouble even if the Philippines has no means to enforce a 2016 Hague ruling that recognized the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ.

Nanalo tayo, sabi ng arbitral court, ‘sa Pilipinas ‘yan’. Hindi ibinigay sa atin ‘yung sovereignty. Our sovereignty is only 12 miles. Ang economic zone, wala tayong sovereignty. No country in the world has a sovereignty sa kanyang economic zone — exclusive. It is not a question of sovereignty. Ang recognized lang ‘yung 12,” he said.

(Eagle News Service)