Año: PH arbitral win a test case for international law's effectiveness

Speaking in Makati City on Friday at the conference on the 8th anniversary of the Philippines’ arbitral win at the Hague against China, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the arbitral victory was the world’s test case for the effectiveness of international law. 

“The extent to which the international community supports it and seeks to enforce the ruling will have serious consequences for the utility of international law as a tool to ensure the peaceful, stable, and lawful use of the seas now and in the future,” Año said.

“Therefore, our call for adherence to the ruling is not just the fight of the Philippines but the collective struggle of all nations for international peace and stability.”

Año said China’s reluctance to acknowledge the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea affects the rules-based international order. He also called out China’s illegal and dangerous actions in the area.

“Despite the ruling being final and binding, China vehemently refuses to abide by the arbitral ruling contrary to their state obligations as a signatory to UNCLOS and a member of the United Nations,” he said.

“China's non-compliance with the ruling has consequences to the rules-based international order that all peace-loving nations seek to uphold,” he added.

Año warned that if the arbitral award favoring the Philippines was not observed and followed, it would lead to “chaos” and “confusion.”

“May I emphasize respect and adherence to international law should not be optional; nor should it be by a state's own liking, benefit, or convenience,” he said.

“Observance and adherence to the law are essential because it is crucial to the world order. The alternative is chaos and confusion.”

Año said the Philippines would continue to push back against coercion, interference, malign influence, and other tactics that jeopardize the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific Region.

In his statement, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. recognized the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) especially the troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, grounded in Ayungin Shoal.

Teodoro said the troops ensured that only Filipinos were utilizing the resources in the West Philippines Sea.

“Kami po ay nananalig na nasa likuran niyo kami sapagkat para sa ating mga kababayan po itong ating ipinaglalaban, at kung ano ang ipinagwagi natin ngayong araw na ito, kinikilala po natin at isinusulong po natin,” he said.

(We promise we are behind you as what we are fighting for is for our countrymen, and we recognize and promote what we have won today.)

“Sana po pagtibayin pa po natin ang pagkakaisa ng Republika ng Pilipinas sa likod nitong arbitral award, sa likod ng international law at sa likod (ng paniniguro) na ang likas na yaman ng Pilipinas ay para sa Pilipino,” he added.

(I hope this arbitral award will strengthen the unity of the Republic of the Philippines and international law and ensure that the natural resources of the Philippines are for Filipinos.)

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 to 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. — DVM, GMA Integrated News