MANILA — The Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones on Thursday started its hearing on proposals that seek to define and institutionalize the Philippines' maritime zones.

Crafting a law that will institutionalize maritime zones would be the Philippines' response to China's "10-dash line", said Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the panel.

Last month, China unveiled a new map that showed its extended territorial claims, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.

The map featured a "10-dashed line," which was previously a nine-dashed line, that supposedly shows China’s boundaries in the waterway, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) noted.

• China's 10-dash line? Marcos Jr says Philippines will 'respond'

Thursday's organizational meeting included a number of maritime and international law experts as resource persons.

"Itong hearing na ito hindi ito last eh. Baka limang hearing to, because we're trying to craft our own map... So this is a response to the 10-dash line," Tolentino said.

The special committee is also inviting resource persons from Beijing University, Tolentino said.

"Gusto rin nating makita ang views nila eh. Bakit kine-claim nila ito. Gusto nating malaman sa kanila mismo bakit sila gumawa ng 10-dash line," Tolentino said.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in another interview said a law that would define maritime zones was up to legislators.

"Hindi naman ako eksperto. Ang alam ko UNCLOS at ang claims natin under the relative presidential decrees. Ngayon, kung ide-define po nila, I am not expert in the international law. Nasa sa mga dalubhasa na po ang magsabi kung tama o hindi. Pero kami ho ay susunod," Teodoro told journalists.

• Philippines protests new Chinese map over West PH Sea claims

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually -- despite an international court ruling that Beijing's entitlement has no legal basis.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei also have overlapping claims in parts of the sea, while the United States sends naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

Watch more News on iWantTFC