PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. was urged Sunday to sign the Philippine Maritime Zones Bill to strengthen the country’s stand against China’s aggressive activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez made the appeal in the wake of heightened tension between Manila and Beijing over disputed islets, shoals and maritime waters, and continued Chinese intrusion into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

Recently, the Chinese government issued a regulation authorizing its coast guard to detain foreigners “trespassing” in the West Philippine Sea.

“The measure’s enactment will boost our assertion of our maritime and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea and our exclusive economic zone, which China frequently intrudes into. It will reinforce the enforcement of such rights by our defense-military forces,” he said.

He said the passage of the bill is in accordance with international laws, agreements and conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 arbitral ruling invalidating Beijing’s expansive claim over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

The Mindanao lawmaker, who is one of the principal authors of the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act in the House of Representatives, added that UNCLOS allows states to define their maritime boundaries.

When enacted, the proposed law would serve as the framework for settling territorial disputes between the country and its neighbors, including China, in addition to international laws and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that ruled in favor of the Philippines, and for exploring resources within the country’s maritime zones, he stressed.

“I am almost sure that we will soon have this law. This early, I am appealing to China to recognize it and to immediately stop encroaching and intruding in our EEZ and the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

Rodriguez also appealed to President Marcos to ignore any reaction from China against the signing of the bill into law.

“Let us not worry about what the Chinese will say. Let us think of our own national interest,” he said.

The proposed definition of the country’s maritime territory includes the Chinese-occupied Scarborough or Panatag Shoal off Zambales and Pangasinan, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, a traditional fishing ground of Filipinos.

The Chinese Coast Guard routinely patrols this area, which Beijing seized in 2012 after a standoff between Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard vessels.

The Chinese Coast Guard constantly harass Filipinos fishing around Bajo de Masinloc.

It also wants us to remove our BRP Sierra Madre at our Ayungin Shoal and had recently confiscated the suppplies to our troops there.