Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay on Monday clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte will “not deviate” from the historic international arbitration tribunal’s ruling which favors the Philippines claims to the resource-rich South China Sea.
Reacting to the President’s statement that he will “set aside” the arbitral ruling, Yasay said the Philippine government will adhere to it even as it continues to enhance confidence and trust with Chinese officials.
“Since President Duterte assumed office, one of his primary foreign policy priorities has been revitalizing bilateral ties with China. Following his historic State Visit to China in October, Philippine government agencies – especially those in the political and security sectors – have been hard at work building confidence and trust with their Chinese counterparts. This we will continue to do for the foreseeable future, until such time that we achieve a trust level that will allow us to discuss the more sensitive issues in our bilateral relations,” Yasay said in a statement.
“This notwithstanding, the Philippine government reaffirms its respect for and firm adherence to this milestone ruling and will be guided by its parameters when tackling the issue of maritime claims in the South China Sea. I also wish to reiterate what the President has stated in the past that he will not deviate from the four corners of the ruling,” he added.
Speaking upon his arrival from his state visits to Cambodia and Singapore, Duterte on Saturday said he would not press China on the arbitral ruling, which invalidated the Asian superpower’s claims to almost all of the South China Sea.
“I will not impose anything on China. Why? Because the politics here in Southeast Asia is changing. Like us now, I will separate or I will demand that you [US forces] go out of my country,” he said.
But Yasay noted that the Philippines will respect the rights and responsibilities such as rights affirmed by the maritime ruling, as state party to the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.
“The Philippine Constitution mandates that the generally accepted principles enshrined in these treaties are part of national law. As such, the Philippines will respect its rights and responsibilities under these treaties, including those rights recently reaffirmed by the July 12th ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal on maritime entitlements in the South China Sea,” Yasay said.
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