MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines must raise to the global community its landmark victory against China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea, former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Tuesday.
Del Rosario led the Philippine delegation that challenged China’s expansive claims over virtually the entire South China Sea in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which ruled to invalidate China’s so-called historic rights.
He recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte had promised to raise the case Manila won against Beijing at the “proper time.”
“In the remaining years of his term, we believe that President Duterte may still have the opportunity to fulfill his promise to the Filipino people to raise the award, this time not before Chinese President Xi Jinping, but before the world,” the former chief diplomat said in a statement.
Pompeo hits Sino claim
In its July 12, 2016 ruling, the arbitral tribunal invalidated Beijing’s “nine-dash-line” claims over the South China Sea that includes the West Philippine Sea. Beijing did not participate in the case and rejected the ruling.
A day after the fourth anniversary of the landmark decision, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law.”
“The People’s Republic of China has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region,” Pompeo said. (See related story on Page A4)
Del Rosario said the Philippines should call attention to the arbitral award during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, and drum up support from countries like the United States, Australia, European Union, Japan and its partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“This is when we will rely on the UN General Assembly to serve as not only the primary promoter of the rule of law but also the court of world public opinion,” Del Rosario said.
He believed the award had multilateral support because it benefited Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei “whose lands and seas are encroached upon by China’s nine-dash-line claim, and other countries like the United States, European Union and Japan “because it affirms the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.”
“The award upholds the rights of Filipinos under Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas) in the South China Sea. Thus, to enforce the Award is to render justice to Filipinos aggrieved by China’s seizure of our lands and waters, harassment of our soldiers, ramming of our fishermen, and the near-permanent destruction of our marine environment in the West Philippine Sea,” Del Rosario said.
On the anniversary of ruling last Sunday, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the award was “nonnegotiable,” and called on China to comply with the tribunal’s decision as part of its obligations under international law.
Beijing notes ‘consensus’
The Chinese Embassy on Monday said both countries had already reached a “consensus” on handling the arbitration case, alluding to Mr. Duterte’s decision to “shelve” the award in exchange for loans, investments and aid from China.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said it was to the “best interest of regional stability” for China to follow international law and honor existing international agreements.
“We urge China to comply with the PCA ruling, and abide by the Unclos to which it is a signatory,” he told reporters.“Moving forward, we continue to push for the finalization of a substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to settle disputes and prevent the escalation of tensions in the region,” he added.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippine victory “can never be erased, unless we reject it.”“First of all, we really won’t agree with China when it comes to the arbitral award. But let’s just say that we will agree to disagree,” Roque said at a press briefing.
But he said Manila’s disagreement with Beijing over the ruling “is not the sum of our relations with China.”
“We will proceed and advance what we can advance with our friendship with China, like those related to the economy and trade,” he said.
—With reports from Julie M. Aurelio and Jeanette I. Andrade
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