Political Law (Constitutional Law)

Article I
DEC 20

Posted by Magz
ARTICLE I THE NATIONAL TERRITORY

The national territory of the Philippines comprises:

1. The Philippine archipelago

2. With all the islands and waters embraced therein
3. And all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction
4. Consisting of its
1. Terrestrial
2. Fluvial; and CODE: TFA
3. Aerial domains
5. Including its
1. Territorial sea
2. The seabed
3. The subsoil CODE: TSSIO
4. The insular shelves; and
5. The other submarine areas
6. The waters
1. Around
2. Between and
3. Connecting
4. The islands of the archipelago CODE: ABCI

Regardless of their breadth and dimensions

Form part of the INTERNAL WATERS of the Philippines

Definition of Archipelago
An archipelago is a body of water studded with islands. The Philippine archipelago is that body of
water studded with islands which is delineated in the Treaty of Paris (1898), as amended by the
Treaty of Washington (1900) and the Treaty of Great Britain (1930).

Definition of all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction

It includes any territory that presently belongs or might in the future belong to the Philippines
through any of the internationally accepted modes of acquiring territory.
Archipelagic principle
Two elements:

1. The definition of internal waters (as provided above);

2. The straight baseline method of delineating the territorial sea consists of drawing straight
lines connecting appropriate points on the coast without departing to any appreciable extent
from the general direction of the coast.

Important distances with respect to the waters around the

Philippines
1. Territorial sea 12 nautical miles (n.m.)

2. Contiguous zone 12 n.m. from the edge of the territorial sea

3. Exclusive economic zone 200 n.m. from the baseline [includes (1) and (2)]