Official says gov't ''seriously considering'' creating new map
Following China's issuance of its new edition of 10-dash line map, a Philippine official said the government is "seriously considering" the creation of its new map which will show details of the country's maritime entitlements.
"Yes, in fact this is something that we have been working on already, we hope to be able to make an announcement very soon in so far as a new Philippine map is concerned, yes, we are seriously considering it and we already have something in the works," National Security Council Assistant Director General and National Task Force - West Philippine Sea spokesman Jonathan Malaya said in a television interview on Wednesday.
Malaya said the creation of a new Philippine map is still undergoing "some approval process".
"I can't make an announcement right now ano because there are some approval processes that we have to undergo," he said.
However, Malaya noted that the map will include the country's territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise.
"What I can say is that this new map will conform to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and also to the 2016 arbitral ruling," he said.
"It will also possibility reflect the award, the Benham Rise award or the Philippine Rise award to the Philippines which is the extended continental shelf on the eastern side of the country," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
