Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) commended the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on Saturday for its advisory opinion which cited the 2016 Arbitration Award.
According to the DFA, the opinion was referenced by 26 states or groups of states as “legal authority.”
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“The ITLOS cited the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016 as authoritative in key parts of the Advisory Opinion,” the DFA said.
With the ITLOS’ acknowledgement, the department likewise called for relevant parties to comply with the award.
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“This bolsters and reinforces the legitimacy of the final and binding 2016 Arbitration Award, and its unassailable status as part of the corpus of international law. The Philippines therefore takes this opportunity to reiterate its continuing call for full compliance with the Award,” it added.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that some parts of the South China Sea belong to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and are part of the Philippines’ territory.