Quezon city: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday asserted that he remains unconcerned about the possibility of being barred from entering China and its territories, a situation similar to that of former senator Francis Tolentino. "Wala naman akong pakialam [kung] gawin nila sa akin 'yun (I won't mind if they do that to me)," Teodoro remarked to reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
According to Philippines News Agency, Teodoro emphasized that it is within any country's prerogative to permit or deny entry to individuals without providing an explanation. "Nasa sa kanila naman 'yun, 'di ba (It is up to them, right)?" he stated, highlighting the autonomy nations have in such decisions. China had previously banned Tolentino from entering its territories due to his "egregious conduct on China-related issues."
Tolentino, who chaired a special committee on maritime and admiralty zones, had played a key role in advocating for the Philippines' maritime rights by authoring two significant bills. These efforts culminated in the signing of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on November 8, 2024, thereby reinforcing the country's maritime sovereignty, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The Maritime Zones Act delineates the Philippines' internal and archipelagic waters, establishes a 12 nautical mile territorial sea, and declares a 24 nautical mile contiguous zone from the baselines. It also asserts a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, where the Philippines can exert sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act defines crucial maritime routes, including two east-west routes and one north-south route, such as the Sea Lane I (Philippine Sea-Balintang Channel-WPS), Sea Lane II (Celebes Sea-Sibutu Passage-Sulu Sea-Cuyo East Pass-Mindoro Strait-WPS), and Sea Lane III (Celebes Sea-Basilan Strait-Sulu Sea-Nasubata Channel-Balabac Strait-WPS). These routes are vital for maintaining the strategic maritime interests of the Philippines.
