Pasay city: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has reaffirmed the Philippines' claim over Sabah amid renewed discussion over a 2012 Philippine map depicting the contested territory. At a media briefing in Pasay City on Friday, DFA maritime affairs spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva stated that the country maintains its sovereignty claim over Sabah, which is currently administered by Malaysia.
According to Philippines News Agency, Villanueva emphasized that the Philippines, with the enactment of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act of 2024, Republic Act 12064, has not repealed Section 2 of Republic Act 5446. This section defines the baselines of the territorial zones of the Philippine archipelago and preserves the Philippines' existing and valid claims on the portion of North Borneo. The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) earlier clarified how the country's maritime zones in the West Philippine Sea are reflected on official maps, citing its 2012 administrative map.
Villanueva explained that the depiction of Sabah in the cartograph, intended to illustrate the Philippines' different regions, provides a geographic approximation of North Borneo in relation to the main Philippine archipelago. On the issue of the West Philippine Sea, Villanueva mentioned that the DFA will coordinate with NAMRIA on the release of a new map incorporating the 2016 Arbitral Award and the 2024 Maritime Zones Act. He clarified that the submission of the map to the United Nations is merely an administrative requirement to inform other states.
Villanueva further explained that the rights of the Philippines regarding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime entitlements are not dependent on the submission of these maps to the United Nations. These rights are grounded in international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and as clarified by the 2016 Arbitral Award. He added that the DFA will continue to protect the Philippines' sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea through effective and principled diplomacy.
