The House of Representatives on Monday passed on third and final reading House Bill 3216,  “An Act defining the archipelagic baselines of the Philippine archipelago, amending for the purpose RA 3046, as amended by RA 5446.”

The vote was 171 in favor, 3 against, and no abstention.

According to Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco, who also chairs the House Committee On Foreign Affairs, the House version includes the disputed Kalayaan Group of Islands and Scarborough Shoal in the country’s archipelagic baseline jurisdiction.

In the Senate version, Cuenco said, Scarborough is denominated as a “regime of islands.”

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), archipelagic nations like the Philippines must have a definitive baselines law by May 2009.

The bicameral conference committee is expected to come up with the final baselines law by that time.

The House panel in the bicameral conference committee will be represented by House Speaker Prospero Nograles, and Representatives Roque Ablan Jr., Jaime Lopez, Ann Hofer, Antonio Cuenco, Ronaldo Zamora, Abraham Mitra, Roilo Golez, and Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.. -- report from WILLARD CHENG, ABS-CBN News