Golez: THE NAVY AND AIR FORCE SHOULD PATROL AND PROTECT THE ENTIRE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE:

Golez: THE NAVY AND AIR FORCE SHOULD PATROL AND PROTECT THE ENTIRE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE:

The President per published reports issued orders to limit patrols to territorial waters only and I quote this report (Please correct me if I have misquoted):

"The President said he would only allow patrols within territorial waters, or the 12 nautical miles of sea emanating from Philippine coastlines that are considered sovereign territory under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

“‘Yung pinanalo natin but it is not part of our territory, it is a part of our exclusive economic zone – ‘yung mga isda, ‘yung mga makita mo diyan, pati ‘yung sa baba, ‘yung oil and gas. But the territory is limited to the 12-mile limit. Hanggang diyan lang tayo. We do not want to go to any patrol,” said Duterte.

(We won it but it is not part of our territory, it is a part of our exclusive economic zone – the fish, what you see there, even the oil and gas. But the territory is limited to the 12 [nautical] mile limit. We’re only until there. We do not want to go to any patrol.)

My humble opinion:

I believe the patrols should not be limited to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea but should cover the entire 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as ordered by the Constitution which states (Article XII, Section 2):

"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."

A lot of our marine wealth, living or non-living, is there in the EEZ: Fish, minerals, Reed or Recto Bank, Ayungin Shoal, Scarborough Shoal, etc. If we do not patrol, that is virtually forfeiting our rights to the EEZ 80% of which China is claiming. I do not believe that is the intention. 

So as a citizen, I beg the President to please clarify his order and make it clear that the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Coast Guard and even the Bureau of Fisheries should patrol the entire 200 nautical mile EEZ, and not be limited to a 12 nautical mile patrol.

Otherwise, ours will be the only navy, air force and coast guard in the world rendered inutile in their duty to patrol and protect our marine wealth.

I do not believe that is the Intention of our President whose patriotism and love of country cannot be questioned.