Senate adopts resolution to determine sea lines between Philippines, Indonesia

June 3, 2019

The Senate adopted a resolution on Monday concurring in the ratification of the agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia regarding the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EZZ) boundary.

Senate Resolution 1048 was adopted with 20 affirmative votes, no negative vote and zero abstention.

The agreement establishes the boundary line that delimits the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines and Indonesia.

Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said adopting the resolution would resolve and protect the rights and well-being of Filipino vessels and fishermen arrested, detained or meted punitive actions for fishing in Indonesia or another state's EEZ.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to look into the plight of fishermen currently detained in Indonesia and to direct the concerned authorities to pursue the immediate resolution of their cases.

Under the agreement, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its Indonesian counterpart, the Geospatial Information Agency and the Hydro-Oceanographic Office of the Indonesian Navy shall work together to determine the actual delineation of the sea points and geodetic lines between the two countries.DMS