The Philippines has vowed to pursue a course of action “anchored on peace” as it secures its rights over the West Philippine Sea as it marks the 8th anniversary of the Arbitral Award victory over China on the contested area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated its commitment to upholding the landmark ruling, saying it is a testament to Manila’s “unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
“The Award is a reaffirmation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and protects our rights as a coastal state and a seafaring people. Every effort to secure our legitimate interests in our maritime domain is a testament to the courage and determination of the Filipino people while showcasing the Philippines’ vision of peace and stability that inspires and resonates beyond the waters of the South China Sea,” the DFA stressed in a statement.
“With our national interest and sovereign rights in mind, the Philippines will move forward to chart a course anchored on peace, security, and prosperity in our region,” it added.
The DFA said this commitment to peace is demonstrated even in the face of “unlawful actions” that have caused serious incidents in the West Philippine Sea, an apparent reference to the numerous incidents of Chinese Coast Guard harassing Filipino resupply missions while en route to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
Amid these actions, the DFA said, Manila’s resolve to protect its interest and the “full and responsible enjoyment of our legally settled maritime entitlements and its accompanying rights and jurisdictions” in the area were never diminished.
“This determination has only been strengthened by the broadening affirmation of the legal value of the Award as a positive and legitimate source of international law,” it said. Several countries have openly expressed support for the ruling, confirming the “final and binding status of the Award.”
The Group of Seven (G7) has also consistently reaffirmed it as a significant milestone and a useful basis for the peaceful management and resolution of differences at sea.
Further, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Advisory Opinion on Climate Change has recently cited the award as authoritative in key parts of the ruling, with multiple states or groups of states referencing the ruling as legal authority in their respective oral and written statements.
For the DFA, this underscored the ruling’s “unassailable status as part of the corpus of international law.”
On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention dismissed China’s expansive claims under its so-called nine-dash-line as illegal. To this day, Beijing continues to reject the ruling.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States recognizes the award as “final and legally binding.”
“Over the past year, the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) use of water cannons, dangerous maneuvers, and destructive tactics – including ramming, forcible towing, and boarding that have resulted in damage to Philippine vessels and injury to Philippine service members – have routinely interfered with the lawful exercise of high seas freedoms in areas where the Arbitral Tribunal determined the PRC has no lawful territorial or maritime claims,” he said.
“The PRC’s actions reflect a blatant disregard for international law, as well as the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos. The US is deeply concerned about China’s assertion of ‘territorial sovereignty’ over areas that are within the maritime jurisdiction of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, and where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply under international law,” he noted.
“Upholding the international law of the sea, as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, is in the interest of the entire international community and remains vital to the peace, security, and prosperity of all nations,” Blinken pointed out.
“We continue to call on the PRC to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling, to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct, and to comport its conduct, as well as its territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea to the international law of the sea as reflected in the Convention,” he added.
At a forum commemorating the 8th anniversary of the award in Makati City, Stratbase ADR Institute president Victor Andres Manhit praised the government’s pronouncements to boost external defense capabilities while citing the support of like-minded states on the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea.
“We are one with the rest of the world in ensuring that the rule of law prevails. Every nation, regardless of size, or military power, must respect the rights of others and adhere to international law,” he said. (With PNA)