PH remains committed to rule of law despite 'unlawful actions' in WPS -DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said the Philippines remains committed to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes in the West Philippine Sea as the country marked the 8th anniversary of its Arbitral win at the Hague against China.

“Over the years, the Philippines has continued to demonstrate this commitment to peace even in the face of the unlawful actions which have caused serious incidents in the South China Sea, without ever diminishing our resolve to protect and promote our people’s interest and the full and responsible enjoyment of our legally settled maritime entitlements and its accompanying rights and jurisdictions,” the DFA said in a statement. 

DFA added that the award is a reaffirmation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and protects the rights of the Philippines as a coastal state and a seafaring people. 

The DFA also acknowledged the support of the international community by affirming that the award is a positive and legitimate source of international law. 

These include the Group of Seven (G7)—composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—as well as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

“Every effort to secure our legitimate interests in our maritime domain is a testament to the determination and courage 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 said.

“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.

Dangerous Manuevers

In a statement, the United States (US) urged China to acknowledge the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and stop its dangerous actions in the region.

“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,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The US is still deeply concerned over China’s push of “territorial sovereignty” in the areas that are within the maritime jurisdiction of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, Blinken said.

He added that these are also high seas where freedoms of navigation and overflight apply under international law.

“Over the past year, the PRC’s use of water cannons, dangerous maneuvers, and destructive tactics – including ramming, forcible towing, and boarding that has resulted in damage to Philippine vessels and injury to Philippine service members – has 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,” Blinken said.

“The PRC’s actions reflect a blatant disregard for international law as well as the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos,” he added.

China's claim

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News

READ MORE: Defending our territory: The West PhilippineSea