Senators unanimously approved on Monday Senate Resolution 1048 concurring with the ratification of the Philippines-Indonesia Agreement on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundary.
This, even as Senate President Vicente Sotto III prodded President Duterte to look into the plight of Filipino fishermen currently detained in Indonesia and direct concerned authorities to pursue efforts to resolve their cases.
Voting 20-0 with no abstention, the Senate adopted the agreement establishing the boundary line that delimits the overlapping EEZ of the Philippines and Indonesia.
In moving for its early adoption, Sen. Loren Legarda, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairman, affirmed that Resolution 1048 would “resolve and protect the rights and well-being of Filipino vessels and fishermen arrested, detained or meted punitive actions for fishing in Indonesia or another state’s EEZ.
As provided in the Philippines-Indonesia agreement, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its Indonesian counterpart, the Geospatial Information Agency and the Hydro-Oceanographic Office of the Indonesian Navy shall “work together to determine the actual delineation of the sea points and geodetic lines between the two countries.”