Andre Kyril Johan A. Espino Mr. Charles Villanueva BSAE 03A GE Elecve/GLEC318A Arcle 1 Naonal Territory The naonal territory comprise the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein and all other territories over which the Philippine has sovereignty or jurisdicon, consisng of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the sea bed, the subsoil, the insular shelves and other submarine areas. The waters around between and connecng the islands of archipelago, regardless of their breath and dimensions form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. The constuon fixed the territorial limits of the Philippines. This is an unquesoned right of a state to define its territorial limits. The delimitaon of territories of a state is not required under internaonal law but an essenal of jurisdicon, which is recognized by internaonal law. The importance of defining our naonal territory is to make other states well informed of our jurisdicon over a certain territory. This is to avoid territorial conflict that might occur between states. A state cannot exercise jurisdicon over another state without the laer’s consent. A state may acquire new territories provided that the mean of acquiring new territory is sanconed by internaonal law. In this case the Philippines may acquire new territories. The scope of naonal territory is the naonal territory as provided in arcle 1 comprise the Philippine archipelago with all the islands and waters embraced therein. All other territories over which the Philippines has sovereign our jurisdicon. The terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains including the territorial sea, the seabed, the soil, the insular shelves and other submarine areas and the internal waters. The archipelago doctrine which is now an accepted principle of public internaonal law means integraon of group of island to the sea and their oneness so that together they constute one unit, one country, and one island by joining appropriate points of the outermost island of the archipelago with straight lines and all the waters and islands enclosed within the base line form part of the territory of the archipelagic states. The constuon expressly states that the water around between and a connecng the islands of the archipelago, irrespecve their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. The posion of the Philippines regarding the three-mile rule (now 12 mile-rule) was explained by Senator Arturo Tolenno in the Internaonal Convenon on the law of the sea held in Geneva, Switzerland in 1958. It ran as follow to apply the three-mile rule to the Philippines with every island having its own territorial sea, would have a fatal effect upon the territorial sea would have a fatal effect upon the territorial integrity of the Philippines. It would mean the dismemberment of the archipelago with the Sibuyan Sea separang the Visayas and Mindanao Strait and the Sulu isolang Palawan from the rest of the archipelago. These and other areas of waters would cease to the Philippine waters, they would become internaonal water or high seas and fishing vessels from all naons can enter to get fish and other living resources of the sea which nature and divine providence intended for the Philippines. Furthermore, warships of even unfriendly naons could enter these waters and stay there with perfect legal right to do so. At the same me we would lose