Marcos signs laws on Philippine sea rights as China row persists

MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr enacted on Friday two laws bolstering his nation’s maritime claims and pushed to tap energy resources, as tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea persist.
Marcos signed the Maritime Zones Act, which seeks to make the Philippines’ maritime rights well-defined by creating routes over its waters and airspace.
“Our people, especially our fisherfolk, should be able to pursue their livelihood free from uncertainty and harassment. We must be able to harness mineral and energy resources in our seabed,” Marcos said, according to a statement from his communications office.
The president also enacted the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, which establishes a system through which foreign vessels and aircraft shall exercise the right of passage.
The new legislations were signed as Manila and Beijing are locked in a dispute over South China Sea, where the two nations have competing claims.