BY GENALYN KABILING
President Duterte has raised the country’s arbitral win against China in the South China Sea dispute before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saying the country rejects any attempt to undermine such award.
In his pre-recorded message to the virtual UN gathering, the President said the arbitral ruling has become part of international law, adding that it stands for “the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition.”
“We must remain mindful of our obligations and commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and as amplified by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes. The Philippines affirms that commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” Duterte said.
“The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon. We firmly reject attempts to undermine it,” he said in his first-ever address before the world body.
In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines after it nullified China’s nine-dash claim over the South China Sea. Beijing however refused to recognize the tribunal’s decision and pressed ahead with its controversial reclamation works in the disputed territory.
In the same remarks to the UN assembly, Duterte appreciated the support shown by some countries for the arbitral award.
“We welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for — the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition. This – as it should – is the majesty of the law,” he said.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom recently sent a joint note verbale to the UN that rejected China’s excessive claims in the disputed water. The three nations argued that the exercise of historic rights over South China Sea do not adhere with international law and with provisions under UNCLOS. They likewise invoked the 2016 arbitral award won by the Philippines against China on the South China Sea dispute.
At the start of his term, President Duterte agreed to pursue bilateral consultation mechanism with China to manage the South China Sea dispute while pursuing closer economic and diplomatic ties with China. He has also ruled out going to war with China over the territory due to concerns it would lead to the massacre of the local troops.
