Practice question
At a point 150 nautical miles from Philippine baselines, outside every territorial sea and within an undisputed Philippine EEZ, a foreign operator claims it may extract natural resources because the Philippines lacks full territorial sovereignty there. Which answer is best?
- The operator is correct because only territorial sovereignty can support resource rights.
- The operator is correct if it promises not to enter the territorial sea.
- The Philippines has full territorial sovereignty over all EEZ waters and airspace.
- The area is automatically Philippine internal water.
- The Philippines has sovereign resource rights in the EEZ even though those rights are distinct from full territorial sovereignty.
Legal references
- Republic Act No. 12064, November 7, 2024, Philippine Maritime Zones Act: https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/98027; Section 7.
- UNCLOS, Articles 55–58 and 74: https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm; Articles 55–58.
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