Vice President Leni Robredo called on both parties to respect the decision of the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration that China had no “historic rights” to resources in the South China Sea and it has violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the disputed waters.
“We are glad to read about the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the Philippines’ jurisdiction over our exclusive rights in our economic zone,” Robredo said in a statement to the media.
“We hope that both parties respect the ruling made today (Tuesday) and that the dispute be solved peacefully,” she said.
Robredo also lauded the legal team who represented the Philippines at The Hague in The Netherlands. The group comprised of President Aquino’s Cabinet members and appointees. They are:
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Supreme Court Justices Antonio Carpio and Francis Jardeleza, Solicitor-General Florin Hilbay, Malacañang deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Undersecretary Emmanuel Bautista.
“We congratulate our legal team for the time, effort, and hard work they put into this historic case,” Robredo said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the international court issued its ruling on the long-standing dispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
