00:00The Senate leader hopes that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will pass the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act and Philippine Maritime Zones Act.
00:10This is what Rod Laguzan wrote.
00:14Consistency. This is what Senate President Francis Escudero saw when President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act and Philippine Maritime Zones Act.
00:26According to Escudero, the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act is the first law that establishes the right, ownership, and sovereignty of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
00:36He also hopes that there will be recognition of foreign judgment when it comes to arbitrary ruling of a country that recognizes the right of the Philippines in its territory to strengthen its legal basis.
00:47So that no president in the future can change this stance and policy of the Philippines with respect to the West Philippine Sea.
00:55That means to say no president can trifle with this position or set it aside because under our constitution, the main function of a president is to execute our laws.
01:06Escudero admitted that because this is a domestic law, it will not be followed by China.
01:12It will provide consistency and sustainability and predictability with respect to future actions of future presidents.
01:20That we will not see what happened in the previous administration where the Philippines' rights, sovereignty, and interests over this area were diluted.
01:30Escudero also added that when it comes to China, war is not an option here.
01:35He is there to enforce the Philippine Coast Guard to monitor and inform that they are in the territory of the Philippines.
01:42This Senate President clarified that this is a policy or framework bill that can help the President to enforce arbitrary ruling.
01:49And even if it is not a budgetary bill, it can still be funded.
01:53Meanwhile, when it comes to having a treaty in other countries, like the Reciprocal Access Agreement,
01:58which is a bilateral defense and security pact between the Philippines and Japan,
02:02where military training and operations will be included.
02:07I believe that these agreements, the RAA and similar agreements with our allies,
02:11will enable us to, as I said earlier, provide an effective deterrence while our military is not strong enough to provide that deterrence.
02:19According to Escudero, particularly the RAA, this has not yet reached the Senate.
02:24The time it reached them may reach a month for deliberation and vote.
02:30Before the deliberation that they will do for the 2025 budget.
02:34Rod Logusad for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
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