Carpio corrects Cayetano: Malaysia, Vietnam occupy no feature in Philippine EEZ

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Tuesday said Vietnam and Malaysia occupied no portion of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea.

Caprio in effect corrected Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, the former secretary of foreign affairs, who said Malaysia and Vietnam occupied more islands in the West Philippine Sea than China.

"China claims 80 percent of Philippine EEZ in the West Philippine Sea. Vietnam and Malaysia do not claim any part of Philippine EEZ in the West Philippine Sea," Carpio said.

"In fact, China is the only country that claims Philippine EEZ in the West Philippine Sea," he added.

The senior magistrate, a vocal advocate for the country's maritime rights and claims, said the Philippines occupied nine geological features in the West Philippine Sea.

The EEZ is the 200-nautical mile expanse measured from the baselines. The territorial sea, on the other hand, is 12 nautical miles from the baselines where foreign ships may sail through under the right of innocent passage. 

The Constitution requires the government to protect the nation's marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea and EEZ and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens. —NB, GMA News