TheTheThe PHILPHILPHIL AAA JULY - DECEMBER 2011 VOL. 13, ISSUE NO. 36 JJJUDICIALUDICIALUDICIAL OURNALOURNALOURNAL UNCLOS PHILIPPINE MARITIME REGIMES BOOK I PHILIPPINE LAWS AND JURISPRUDENCE The PHILJA Judicial Journal The PHILJA Judicial Journal is published twice a year by the Research, Publications and Linkages Office of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA). The Journal features articles, lectures, research outputs and other materials of interest to members of the Judiciary, particularly judges, as well as law students and practitioners. The views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of either the Academy or its editorial board. Editorial and general offices are located at PHILJA, 3rd Floor, Centennial Building, Supreme Court, Padre Faura St., Manila. Tel. No.: 552-9524 Telefax No.: 552-9621 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] CONTRIBUTIONS. The PHILJA Judicial Journal invites contributions. Please include author’s name and biographical information. The editorial board reserves the right to edit the materials submitted for publication. Copyright © 2011 by The PHILJA Judicial Journal. All rights reserved. For more information, please visit the PHILJA website at http://philja.judiciary.gov.ph. ISSN 2244-5854 SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES CHIEF JUSTICE Hon. RENATO C. CORONA ASSOCIATE JUSTICES Hon. ANTONIO T. CARPIO Hon. PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, Jr. Hon. TERESITA J. LEONARDO-DE CASTRO Hon. ARTURO D. BRION Hon. DIOSDADO M. PERALTA Hon. LUCAS P. BERSAMIN Hon. MARIANO C. DEL CASTILLO Hon. ROBERTO A. ABAD Hon. MARTIN S. VILLARAMA, Jr. Hon. JOSE P. PEREZ Hon. JOSE C. MENDOZA Hon. MARIA LOURDES P. A. SERENO Hon. BIENVENIDO L. REYES Hon. ESTELA M. PERLAS-BERNABE COURT ADMINISTRATOR Hon. JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ DEPUTY COURT ADMINISTRATORS Hon. NIMFA C. VILCHES Hon. RAUL B. VILLANUEVA CLERK OF COURT Hon. ENRIQUETA ESGUERRA-VIDAL ASSISTANT COURT ADMINISTRATORS Hon. THELMA C. BAHIA Hon. JENNY LIND A. DELORINO DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT Atty. FELIPA B. ANAMA DIVISION CLERKS OF COURT Atty. EDGAR O. ARICHETA Atty. MA. LUISA L. LAUREA Atty. LUCITA A. SORIANO PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL ACADEMY Board of Trustees Hon. RENATO C. CORONA Chief Justice Chairperson Hon. ANTONIO T. CARPIO Senior Associate Justice, Supreme Court Vice Chairperson Members Hon. ADOLFO S. AZCUNA Hon. JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Chancellor Court Administrator Hon. ANDRES B. REYES, Jr. Hon. FRANCISCO H. VILLARUZ, Jr. Presiding Justice, Court of Appeals Presiding Justice, Sandiganbayan Hon. ERNESTO D. ACOSTA Hon. FRANKLIN J. DEMONTEVERDE Presiding Justice, Court of Tax Appeals President, Philippine Judges Association Hon. JOSE LORENZO R. DELA ROSA Dean AMADO D. VALDEZ Presiding Judge, MTC, Victoria, Laguna President, Philippine Association of Law Schools Hon. AMEURFINA A. MELENCIO HERRERA Founding Chancellor Emeritus Executive Officials Hon. ADOLFO S. AZCUNA Hon. JUSTO P. TORRES, Jr. Chancellor Vice Chancellor Hon. MARINA L. BUZON Executive Secretary Chiefs of Offices Hon. JUSTO P. TORRES, Jr. Finance Hon. DELILAH V. MAGTOLIS Hon. MARINA L. BUZON Academic Affairs Office Acting PHILJA Chief of Office Philippine Mediation Center Associate Dean SEDFREY M. CANDELARIA Hon. THELMA A. PONFERRADA Research, Publications and Linkages Office Administrative Office Chairpersons, Curricular Departments Dean PACIFICO A. AGABIN Prof. RUBEN F. BALANE Constitutional Law Civil Law Hon. MAGDANGAL M. DE LEON Hon. EDILBERTO G. SANDOVAL Remedial Law Criminal Law Hon. JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Hon. HILARION L. AQUINO Court Management Ethics and Judicial Conduct Dean CESAR L. VILLANUEVA Dr. PURIFICACION V. QUISUMBING Commercial Law International and Human Rights Law Fr. RANHILIO C. AQUINO Prof. MYRNA S. FELICIANO Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy Legal Method and Research Associate Dean SEDFREY M. CANDELARIA Atty. EMMANUEL L. CAPARAS Special Areas of Concern Court Technology Professor ALFREDO F. TADIAR Hon. JAINAL D. RASUL Alternative Dispute Resolution Shari’a and Islamic Jurisprudence Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna Chancellor Prof. Sedfrey M. Candelaria Editor in Chief Editorial and Research Staff Atty. Ma. Melissa Dimson-Bautista Arsenia M. Mendoza Armida M. Salazar Jocelyn D. Bondoc Ronald Paz Caraig Judith B. Del Rosario Christine A. Ferrer Joanne Narciso-Medina Sarah Jane S. Salazar Charmaine C. Saltivan-Nicolas Jeniffer P. Sison Circulation and Support Staff Romeo A. Arcullo Lope R. Palermo Daniel S. Talusig Printing Services Leticia G. Javier and Printing Staff VOLUME 13 ISSUE NO. 36 JULY-DECEMBER 2011 THE PHILJA JUDICIAL JOURNAL CONTENTS OFFICIALS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES ....................... iv OFFICIALS OF THE PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL ACADEMY .................................. v PHILIPPINE LAWS AND JURISPRUDENCE (BOOK I) I. PHILIPPINE LAWS Republic Act No. 3046 (As amended by RA No. 5446) An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines ............................................................... 1 Republic Act No. 5446 An Act to Amend Section One of RA No. 3046, entitled “An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines” ............................................................. 6 Presidential Decree No. 1599 Establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone and for Other Purposes .......................................................................11 Republic Act No. 9522 An Act to Amend Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 3046, as Amended by RA No. 5446, to Define the Archipelagic Baseline of the Philippines and for Other Purposes ...................................................................... 14 CONTENTS II. PHILIPPINE JURISPRUDENCE Magallona, Merlin M. v. Ermita, Eduardo ............................. 19 Concurring Opinion Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. ..................... 46 Province of North Cotabato v. Government of the Republic of the Philippines Peace Panel on Ancestral Domain (GRP) ..... 65 Separate Concurring Opinion Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno ...................................... 155 Separate Concurring Opinion Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago .................. 177 Separate Concurring Opinion Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio ................................ 193 Separate Opinion Associate Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna ............................... 233 Separate Opinion Associate Justice Dante O. Tinga ..................................... 235 Separate Opinion Associate Justice Minita V. Chico-Nazario......................... 257 Dissenting Opinion Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. ..................... 264 Dissenting Opinion Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura ............. 272 Separate Opinion Associate Justice Ruben T. Reyes ................................... 298 Separate Concurring and Dissenting Opinion Associate Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-de Castro ............. 327 Concurring and Dissenting Opinion Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion ................................... 330 CONTENTS III. RELATED ARTICLES Lecture The Philippine National Territory Ambassador Lauro L. Baja, Jr. ........................................... 354 Reactions on the Metes and Bounds of the Philippine National Territory: An International Law and Policy Perspective Jay L. Batongbacal, Esq. ................................................368 Reactions on Why There is an Immediate Need to Enact a Bill Amending Republic Act No. 3046, As Amended, to Conform to the Convention on the Law of the Sea Atty. Estelito P. Mendoza ............................................. 391 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3046 1 Republic Act No. 3046 (As Amended by RA No. 5446) An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Philippines describes the national territory as comprising all the territory ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris concluded between the United States and Spain on December 10, 1898, the limits of which are set forth in Article III of said treaty, together with all the islands embraced in the treaty concluded at Washington, between the United States and Spain on November 7, 1900, and in the treaty concluded between the United States and Great Britain on January 2, 1930, and all the territory over which the Government of the Philippine Islands exercised jurisdiction at the time of the adoption of the Constitution; WHEREAS, all the waters within the limits set forth in the above- mentioned treaties have always been regarded as part of the territory of the Philippine Islands; WHEREAS, all the waters around, between and connecting the various islands of the Philippines archipelago, irrespective of their width or dimension, have always been considered as necessary appurtenances of the land territory, forming part of the inland or internal waters of the Philippines; WHEREAS, all the waters beyond the outermost islands of the archipelago but within the limits of the boundaries set forth in the aforementioned treaties comprise the territorial sea of the Philippines; WHEREAS, the baselines from which the territorial sea of the Philippines is determined consist of straight lines joining appropriate points of the outermost islands of the archipelago; and WHEREAS, the said baselines should be clarified and specifically defined and described for the information of all concerned; Now, therefor, 2 PHILJA JUDICIAL JOURNAL VOL 13:36 2011 I BOOK I SECTION 1. The baselines for the territorial sea of the Philippines are hereby defined and described specifically as follows: REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3046 3 4 PHILJA JUDICIAL JOURNAL