Transcript
MAGALLONA VS. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY July 16, 2011 FACTS:
In 1961 1961,, RA 3046 3046 was was pass passed ed,, dema demarc rcat atin ing g the the maritime baselines of the PH as an archipelagic state It remained !nchanged for " decades In #009, the $ongress amended RA 3046 b% enacting RA 9522, 9522, the stat!te s!b&ect of this case 'he change was prompted b% the passage o of ()$*+ ()$*+ III, which which prescribes prescribes the waterwaterland ratio, length, and conto!r of baselines of archipelagic tates li .e the Philipp Philippine ines s and sets sets the deadline deadline for the /lin /ling g of appl applic icat atio ion n for for the the ete etend nded ed continental shelf $ompl%ing with these re!irements, RA 9"##2 1 shor shorte tene ned d one one base baselin line, e, # opti optimi mie ed d the the locati location on of some some base basepo poin ints ts aro!nd the Philippine archipelago and 3 clas classi si/e /ed d ad&a ad&ace cent nt terr territ itor orie ies, s, name namel% l%,, the the Kalayaa Kalayaan n Island Island Group Group (KIG (KIG and the the Scarborough Shoal, as Shoal, as regimes regimes of islands whose islands generate their own applicable maritime ones Regime of islands are islands that are nat!rall% formed formed areas areas of land, land, s!rro s!rro!nde !nded d b% water, water, which are abo5e water at high tide (nde (nderr the the regim egime e of isla island nds s doct doctri rine ne,, the islands islands will will generate generate their their own maritim maritime e ones ones Roc. Roc.s s which which cannot cannot s!stai s!stain n h!man h!man habitat habitation ion or econom economic ic life life of their their own own shall shall ha5e no ecl!si5e economic one or continental shelf7 Petit Petition ioners ers assail the 5alidit 5alidit% % of RA 9"## on the following gro!nds2 1 RA 9" ## ## red !c !ces Phi lilippin e mari ti ti me me territ territor% or%,, and logica logicall%, ll%, the reach reach of the Phili Philippi ppine ne stat states es so5e so5ere reign ign powe power, r, in 5iolation of Article 1 of th e 198 $onstit!tio $onstit!tion, n, embod%ing embod%ing the terms terms of the 'reat% 'reat% of Paris Paris11 and ancillar% treaties, and # RA 9 "# "## open s the co!ntr%:s waters landw landwar ard d of the the base baseli line nes s to mari mariti time me pass passag age e b% all all 5ess 5essel els s and and air aircraf crafts ts,, !ndermi !nderminin ning g Philipp Philippine ine so5er so5ereig eignt% nt% and national sec!rit%, contra5ening the co!ntr%:s n!clearn!clear-free free polic%, and damaging damaging marine reso! eso!rrces, es, in 5iola iolattion ion of rele5 ele5an antt constit!tional pro5isions Respo Responde ndents nts defend defended ed RA 9"## as the co!nt co!ntr%: r%:s s compliance with the terms of ()$*+ III, preser5ing Philip Philippine pine territ territor% or% o5er o5er the ;I< or carbo carboro ro!gh !gh hoal ISSUE2 =+) RA 9""3 i s !nconstit!tional )+ RULING:
'he demarcation of a bo!ndar% line amo!nts to la%ing down b% mean means s of bo!n bo!nda dar% r% pilla pillars rs,, mon!m mon!ment ents s or b!o% b!o%s, s, and and permanent permanent erections erections of other .inds, along the topographical topographical conformations of the territories to be separated b% it
>emarcation line refers to the bo!ndar% of a speci/c area 'his term is commo commonl% nl% !sed in inter internation national al law It is a pro5 pro5isiona isionall border bor der ha5 ha5ing ing the f!n f!ncti ction on of se separ parati ating ng ter territ ritori ories es !nd !nder er di?erent &!risdictions
