MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines’ sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and features in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) is “incontrovertible,” grounded in international law, and not dependent on whether they fall within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Rogelio Villanueva Jr., newly appointed DFA spokesperson for maritime affairs, made the clarification at a press briefing to dispel misconceptions about Philippine territory in the WPS.

Citing the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, or Republic Act No. 12064, Villanueva said the country’s western maritime zones — including the Luzon Sea, the territorial seas of Bajo de Masinloc, and the maritime features of the KIG — are “collectively called the West Philippine Sea.”

He added that high-tide features within the KIG are entitled to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea measured from their baselines.

“As such, the extent of what constitutes the West Philippine Sea, as well as our sovereignty over the Kalayaan Island Group, and the territorial sea of its high-tide features, are already explicitly established, and are not contingent on whether or not they fall within the country’s exclusive economic zone,” Villanueva said.

He also emphasized that Philippine sovereignty and maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as clarified by the 2016 Arbitral Award, are “firmly founded” on international law, legal principles, effective control, and recognition through treaties and agreements.

“The DFA will continue to champion the Philippine position in the maritime domain through the effective use of diplomacy to facilitate responsible and principled approaches that lead to positive outcomes,” Villanueva said.

Senator Rodante Marcoleta drew criticism after he reportedly suggested it would be easier to surrender the KIG, claiming it is “not even within our EEZ.” He later clarified that his remark about “giving up” only pertained to “mapping.”