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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte energetically affirmed the country’s arbitration victory against China in the Western Philippine Sea dispute before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and said that the country rejects any attempt to undermine the ruling.
In his speech delivered during the high-level general debate at the 75th session of the General Assembly early Wednesday, Duterte said that the arbitration award has become “part of international law” and that it represents “the triumph of the reason over recklessness, law over disorder, friendship over ambition “.
He said the Philippines’ engagement in the disputed part of the South China Sea was in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration of the Netherlands.
“We must be aware of our obligations and our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and amplified by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes,” Duterte said in his first speech to the world body.
“The award is now part of international law, beyond commitment and beyond the reach of governments in approval to dilute, diminish or abandon it. We strongly reject attempts to undermine it, ”he said.
The Philippines, China and Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), separately claim parts of the South China Sea.
The Philippines claims the Western Philippine Sea, which is located in the eastern part of the South China Sea.
China wants to resolve disputes bilaterally rather than through multilateral or international platforms.
In July 2016, the international arbitral tribunal annulled China’s claim on almost the entire South China Sea on historical grounds in a case brought against Beijing by Manila.
China refused to participate in arbitration, a process that was agreed with by Unclos, and rejected the court’s decision.
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration annulled China’s claim on the nine-dash line over the disputed waters.
In the same speech, Duterte thanked the support shown by some countries for the arbitration award.
“We welcome the growing number of states that have endorsed the award and what it represents: the triumph of reason over recklessness, law over disorder, friendship over ambition. This, as it should be, is the majesty of the law, ”he said.
The United Kingdom, France and Germany rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea in a joint note verbale recently submitted to the UN.
The three nations argued that the exercise of historical rights over the South China Sea does not adhere to international law or the provisions of Unclos. They invoked the 2016 arbitration award won by the Philippines against China.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Duterte’s assertion of the arbitration ruling proves that the president has never been an “alipin” (slave) to anyone when it comes to defending the Philippines’ claim in the China Sea. Southern or Western Philippine Sea.
Locsin was reacting to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s tweet on Wednesday in which the senator said: “Alipin no more (no longer a slave)! Hearing the president invoke the award before the UN General Assembly while firmly rejecting any attempt to undermine it should erase doubts about his position on the issue of the WPS. “
Locsin said that Duterte was never a slave “to the reality he inherited: a China already in possession of our reef thanks to [former United States President Barrack] Obama gave it to China when our [Philippine] The Navy and the Chinese Navy had a confrontation and the United States told both of them to stand down and leave. We left, China stayed and claimed it. “
In a separate text message, Lacson said: “Filipinos on both sides of the political aisle should be proud to hear the president express his strong and unequivocal position on the issue of the WPS.”
He said Duterte’s statement “should erase all doubts about his position. I hope China has heard the president’s message loud and clear, as there is no other way to interpret it. “
Senator Francis Pangilinan welcomed Duterte’s strong statement on the arbitration award.
“We hope you will combine these strong words with actions that include bringing the matter officially to the UN, as well as seeking the support of our ASEAN allies, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, who have stood up to China and opposed its aggression in the waters in dispute. ” Pangilinan said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila has yet to react to Duterte’s claim. But he shared quotes from Chinese President Xi Jinping, drawn from his speech at the same UNGA meeting.
The embassy said Xi has emphasized that the UN must uphold the rule of law and that relations between countries and the coordination of their interests should only be based on rules and institutions.
“They should not be dominated by those who wave a strong fist against others,” the Chinese leader added.
The former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Albert del Rosario, said that after invoking the arbitration award, the president must gather the support of more countries so that it is raised “with more emphasis” in the UN panel.
Del Rosario said that Duterte acted faithfully to the Constitution that orders the President and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure the sovereignty of the country.
“We hope this will put an end to the misconception that bringing the Arbitration Award to the UNGA is to re-litigate the case. We deeply thank you, Mr. President, for defending what is ours, “said del Rosario.
“It is the first time that our president addresses the UNGA and we are encouraged to know that it is not waterproof at all, but he listens to the will of his compatriots,” he added.
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