Hiniling ni Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez kay Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na sertipikahan na bilang urgent ang panukala na magtatakda sa maritime zone ng Pilipinas.
Aniya, sa pamamagitan nito ay mapapabilis ang pag-apruba ng panukala sa Kongreso.
Una nang pinagtibay ng Kamara ang panukalang Philippine Maritime Zones Act, Mayo ng kasalukuyang taon habang tinatalakay pa ng Senado ang bersyon nito.
Diin ni Rodriguez mahalagang maisabatas ito lalo na sa patuloy na pagiging agresibo ng China sa West Philippine Sea.
“The urgency of enacting a law that defines our maritime areas, including our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), cannot be overemphasized in view of the aggressive activities of China in the West Philippine Sea and its continued encroachment on and intrusion into our EEZ,” ani Rodriguez.
Oras na maisabatas ay mas mapapalakas ng Pilipinas ang pag-giit nito sa ating territorial at sovereign rights sa ating exclusive economic zone at sa West Philippine Sea salig sa international laws, agreements at convention, kasama na ang UNCLOS.
“I am almost sure that we will soon have this law. This early, I am appealing to China to recognize it and to immediately stop encroaching and intruding in our EEZ and the West Philippine Sea. Congress should have approved this bill years ago. Any delay in its enactment further benefits China,” dagdag ng mambabatas. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
