VERA Files started with Spratlys, baseline and extended continental shelf. One year after, it’s again Spratlys, baseline and extended continental shelf.
On March 25 last year VERA Files came out with a two-part special report on the government’s scrambling to meet the deadline set by the United Nations for the submission of the Philippine claim of its extended continental shelf, the underwater extension of the land.
The deadline set by the Convention of the Law of the Sea, which the Philippines ratified 24 years ago, for coastal states to declare their extended continental shelf is May 13, 2009.
At that time last year, lawmakers were only beginning to debate on the archipelagic baseline bill, which would be the basis for measuring all maritime zones: territorial sea (12 nautical miles from the baseline), contiguous zone (24 nm), economic exclusive zone (200 nm), continental shelf (200 nm) and extended continental shelf (350 nm).
It must be stressed that there is no deadline for the filing of a country’s archipelagic baseline with the UN. The May 13, 2009 deadline is for filing of claim for extended continental shelf.
VERA Files said in that special report: “ A month before the May 13, 2009 deadline, the Philippine government intends to submit a claim before the United Nations over its extended continental shelf, which scientists and legal experts say include the resource-rich Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and other disputed territories.
“If the UN upholds this claim, the Philippines would have the exclusive right to exploit the KIG’s vast natural resources, including an estimated 200 billion barrels of oil. The KIG is part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea also being claimed wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.”
We also said in that report that “With a year left before the May 13, 2009 deadline for filing its claim for an extended continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Philippines is nowhere near completing the studies, surveys and report required to bolster the country’s claim over its extended territory.”
Yesterday, a Philippine delegation composed of foreign affairs and national mapping officials left for New York to make a partial submission of the country’s claim over its extended continental shelf. This is just to “to stop the clock’ on the deadline.
Constitutional and law experts lead by UP professors Merlin Magalona and Harry Roque and Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros are trying to stop the filing of Philippine ECS claim saying the barely- a- month old Philippine Baseline Law (RA 9522) is unconstitutional and deprives the Philippines some parts of its national territory under the 1898 Treaty of Paris.
As of this writing, the Supreme Court has not issued a temporary restraining order for the planned UN submission.
We at VERA Files are glad that we have followed the progress of the Philippine baseline law and extended continental shelf which are important but not sexy subjects.
It all started when we decided to form an independent media group that would undertake in-depth reporting. This was early March of 2008.
“We” are Yvonne Chua, Booma Cruz, Chit Estella, Jenny Gonzalez, Luz Rimban and myself. Early this year, Ibarra Mateo joined VERA Files as trustee.
Although some of us have moved on to teaching as well as other journalism-related work, we all started as beat reporters.
We had our meeting at “Ten Titas” in Cubao. At that time the headlines was about the joint marine seismic survey of the islands in the South China that the Philippines entered into with China. It was talked about that the multi-billion contracts that the Arroyo government obtained from China were actually bonuses for allowing the Asian behemoth to explore our territory as well as those that we occupy in the disputed Spratly islands.
I had the confidential Annex of the agreement which specifies its coverage but I couldn’t make heads or tails of the figures. It was all latitude and longitude.
Yvonne came to the rescue. She plotted the coordinates through Google Earth and it showed that the agreement includes six-Philippine occupied islands! That was our first story and it came out March 10, 2008.
As Yvonne said, “We have come full circle in one year.”
Thank you to all who continue to support VERA Files.
The spire of San Agustin Church in Intramuros marks the north-south line of 120 degrees East Longitude. Yvonne Chua is smart to go Google but she could have saved her efforts had she gone to the UP college of Engineering for reference.
There is no point at all claiming the extended miles and miles continental shelf. Working or fishing outside of what we have now just beyond a few miles means OFW pay rate.
the kalayaan group of islands should just be leased to the united states as a military base for a definite period of time, say 15 or 20 years. we would be able to collect rent while the americans develop the place. also this will counteract china’s saber rattling in the region.
Leased to the US? a guaranteed wealth for the Arroyo’s..ilan ba ang apo niya?
do you have any alternatives to put these islands into any use? at least with a well-written and secured lease, the area will be developed, jobs will be generated, rental will be collected, and china will be discouraged from any military adventurism in the region. of course the arroyos and the political oligarchy will reap benefits but the country as a whole will also gain.
Lease? Those are shoals, one has an 8 square meters of real estate at high tide, the others a little larger, the largest is Pagasa where the airforce has still half an airfield washed out, its coordinates already on a crosshair of a better than NOKOR missile firing console. Some shoals are jointly occupied with claimants spitting distance away from each other. The shoals with no rocks peeping out at any tide condition are good dive spots. Stilts may be used like what the chinese did. We can tow the floating casino on a westward Ho voyage to those shoals.
Posters in Ellen’s blog (Ellenville) apparently are indifferent to wrongdoing beyond Pinoyland. Cambodia and Myanmar might as well be in another planet. Spratlys, Sulu and Sabah are too remote to bother about. Clearly, Pinoys are not of one mind, disunited (Noel’s wail). But looking at it from a different perspective, the discord ensures diversity of opinions in our society. Congruence of thought is only when the topic is about Ate Glue and her abdication of responsibility, duty and honor, and the wish she abdicate the throne.
You’re correct. Here, we differ in opinions of many topics but are in unison when it comes to the Evil Bitch.
isagani,
i agree with you. since pinoy personalities in public office do not know what they are doing, we might as well rent the place to pay our debts accumulated since the marcoses, aquino, ramos, estrada and Gloria’s but please not to the chinese.
I was so happy I thought it was the Evil Bitch who’s missing:
Chopper with Arroyo aides missing
Filed Under: Air and Space Accidents, Government
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 4) A chopper carrying several aides of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, including her senior military assistant, Brigadier General Carlos Clet, was confirmed missing Tuesday evening, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.
Neonate: it may seem that some bloggers indeed are indifferent (mea culpa, mea culpa)..but it is just that these places are so far and so remote. And also we don’t know much about the issues..except perhaps that ownership (like Sabah)is still unsettled..our books don’t mention much about it (at least not during my time)…I have been to Jolo but I have not been to Palawan though it is nearer to Antique..and it seems that while we hope the Phil. gov’t would work for our rights mas lalong lumala ang problema with GMA..
Isagani Gatmaitan’s idea, to me, is brilliant. A lease to the Americans, assuming they find it feasible, would save us all the trouble and the expense of developing and securing the area, I would even forward the possibility of joint exploration at a time the US is dead set to boost its fuel stock from sources out of the rowdy towelheads’ countries. Imagine the petrobillions that would be made available to finance our progress.
The next president should seriously consider this scenario. America can easily pull all the strings within the UN and other world orgs to deliver the clean title to RP for the whole of Spratlys and the huge hydrocarbon hunting ground.
Bring the Seventh Fleet back to its old home. North Korea? Nah, it’s just a rouse to whip up attention to its pretentious self-acclaimed glory. Kim is dying and no one else is big enough to fill his straitjacket. China still has to build and launch her first Aircraft Carrier. American naval might will still reign supreme for decades to come.
BE, latest news is the Presidential Chopper has crashed and all passengers and crew are presumed dead. The trip was the advance party for Gloria’s trip to Banaue. She would’ve rode the same chopper on her trip.
Damn, why do some things happen prematurely?
That’s a clear sign from heaven that she must step down in 2010. Next time, it will be her to die ! Too bad those who perished were assistants of the secretaries. It would be good news if the ones on board were the cabinet secretaries themselves. The General should have been Esperon. Anyway, I’m sure those bad guys are now scared coming at this time when Catholics are observing the Holy Week.
North Korea’s leader just needs respect. He has long been neglected by the US and Bush Administration. Cuba’s Fidel Castro has offered his help to Obama. Obama is thinking of lifting the travel ban to Cuba. Venezuela’s Chavez has been quiet since Obama took office. Chavez used to be critical of the US almost daily. The Europeans have changed their perception of the US. From hatred to love, all because of Obama’s recent visits. If Bush is still the US President and if McCain was elected new President, do you think the world would treat the US like it is now? Obama has not been in office for 100 days yet, and see how he changed America. What you say dandaw?
The Philippines’ first ECS submission was filed yesterday April 8, and is now available for download from the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS):
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/submission_phl_22_2009.htm
This begins the process of review and (hopefully) eventual approval by the CLCS. Further information may be accessed from the CLCS homepage:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/clcs_home.htm
j,
It seems you’re really closely watching the developments. Keep us updated. Thanks.
DO YOU KNOW HOW THE APOSTLES DIED?
Matthew – Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia , killed by a sword wound..
Mark – Died in Alexandria , Egypt , after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
Luke – was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
John – Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome . However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos . He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Peter – was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
James – The leader of the church in Jerusalem was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
James the Great – son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a life time of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem . The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew – also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia . He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey .. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew – was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras , Greece . After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
Thomas – Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.
Jude – Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias – The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot was stoned and then beheaded.
Barnabas – One of the group of seventy disciples, wrote the Epistle of Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus . Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.
Paul – Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed through out the Roman Empire . These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles/disciples during their times for the sake of their Faith.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.. Matthew 10:22
Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?
This is one I can honestly say I have never seen
circulating in the emails so; if it touches you, you may
want to forward it.
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after
His resurrection? I never noticed this….
The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the
napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not
just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded,
and was placed separate from the grave clothes.
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had
been rolled away from the entrance.
She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.
She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see..
The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the
linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also
noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had
covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the
folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.
The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that
it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight,
until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers,
his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table.
For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, ‘I’m done’.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate,
the servant would not dare touch the table, because . . . the folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!’
He is Coming Back!
I’ll make sure to fold my napkin so my young wife knows I will just be around…
Finally back in Manila. Globe Visibility is so inefficient, it was such an agony connecting from the province. I just limited my self to emailing my columns. Can’t post.
When I got back early this noon, I found out this blog was down again. This has been off and on this week.
Abe said there was problem in the configuration. Anyway, I’m thankful to be back in cyberspace.
JB, thanks a lot.
I’m still trying to read back issues of newspapers. I was away for a week. Pero ang sarap ng bakasyon! I’ll post photos.
BE, ang ganda the story about the folded napkin.
BE: Thanks for the story of the folded napkin..right at this moment while I am writing this..Channel 13 has a discussion on “is the Bible true”? marami pa rin ang hindi naniniwala..as a matter of fact someone told me that Obama said that “US is not a Christian nation”..this is quite true..yes people in God but not all believe that Jesus is God..listening to Fr. Groschel at EWTN yeterday he said..Christianity is “the religion of the Cross”..the majority believe in God but only the Christians believe that Jesus is God..the Savior..and many of us believe this.
Sorry, I still can’t post pictures. Nakakainis.
If only we reviewed the other counrties’ entries on their extended continental shelf, we’d find we are ahead of our neighbors. It might be that they are not interested at all with the Spratlys. We could even include yet the Marianas, a protectorate only, if the US has not yet submitted theirs. For all we know, Taiwan might want to be counted in in the UN. It can coalesce with us. At our northern tip, Y’Ami we can smell anything cooking in Taiwan.
valdemar bro… u may want to read the background on how an extended continental shellf is filed/claimed … you need to prove technically and scientifically, supported with a bunch of evidence/data in the form of hydrographic/geologic/geodetic (and other “ICs)lol… but seriously the task of doing so is not an easy one… you may want to ask JayB … he has a lot to say (im sure)…
lei pe
with a lot of readings yet, and a lot of technical and scientific proof to submit,no wonder china cant prove nothing or whatever, just howling and roaring madly while the rest only waiting for crumbs and what we may lose or missed to claim.
Nowadays, women don’t fold the used napkin. They just use the the sleeve or envelop which came with the new one before throwing into the bathroom garbage can.
BE, if you see that, it means “Come back later”.