The government is inclined to continue the peaceful dialogue with China to resolve the West Philippine Sea dispute rather than elevate the country’s 2016 arbitral win before the United Nations.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo has brushed aside former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario’s suggestion to present the case before the UN General Assembly this week, saying the world body has no power to enforce the arbitral ruling that nullified China’s claims in the disputed territory.
“It’s futile exercise. Why? Because UN has no enforcement force,” Panelo said.
Del Rosario had earlier urged the Duterte government to bring the arbitration ruling before the 74th regular session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City this week. He said the UN assembly, where many world leaders are expected to attend, would be an excellent venue to present the country’s case “to reassert that right is might and the rule of law must be upheld.” The Philippines is slated to speak before the UN assembly next week.
Del Rosario mentioned the case of Nicaragua which lobbied the UN to persuade the United States to comply with a ruling of the International Court of Justice.
Panelo, however, claimed there was other development in the case of Nicaragua.
“’Yung, sina-cite niyang Nicaragua, o may nangyari ba doon? Wala naman. Ganoon pa rin, di ba?” he said.
The government, instead, will sustain peaceful negotiations with China to resolve the maritime dispute while pursuing other areas of mutually beneficial cooperation. According to Panelo, the President considers such government strategy with China as “effective.”
“He finds it effective ‘yong ginagawa niya ngayon. May impasse pero tinutuloy pa rin ‘yong usapan at the same time nakikipag-negotiate siya with respect to other areas of concern mutually beneficial to both,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)