Del Rosario: Bringing sea row with China to UN not a futile exercise

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Friday refuted Malacanang's statement that bringing the country's maritime disputes with China before the United Nations is a futile exercise.

Del Rosario responded to five arguments raised by presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo that it is pointless to raise the disputes in the South China Sea, where an international arbitration panel in The Hague, Netherlands upheld in a landmark 2016 ruling the Philippines' exclusive rights to exploit resources in the waters.

In a statement, the country's former top diplomat pointed out the following:

1. On “No enforcement force,” he said the UN serves as not only the primary promoter of the rule of law but also the court of world public opinion.

2. On “Nothing happened to Nicaragua case,” the former chief diplomat explained that Nicaragua’s resort to the UN had the effect of securing international publicity and of gaining favorable global opinion. The United States continued to defy the UN
resolutions, until later on, it ultimately provided a substantial aid package in the order of more than US$500 million.

3. On “Futility of going to the UN," he argued that leaders of 193 countries troop to the UN each year to promote their positions before the global community of nations. These countries, including the Philippines, maintain permanent missions to the United Nations.

4. On “No significant impact if Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. speaks on arbitral ruling before the UN General Assembly,” he said that while he concurs, seeking a resolution can only be pursued after the proper foundation has been developed. As we suggested earlier, it would take time and hard work but it can be done, he added.

5. On the “UN dominated by countries grateful to China," he said that while he agrees with Locsin that many developing countries are beholden to China because of economic largesse, the inherent desire for the rule of law to prevail is the balancing factor.

"We have every confidence in Secretary Locsin, with the men and women in the Foreign Service, to ably undertake what is required in moving forward our case on the arbitral tribunal outcome," Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario spearheaded the successful arbitration case that resulted in the legal victory for the Philippines in connection with the South China Sea disputes.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China and Taiwan are locked in decades- long territorial conflict in the resource-rich South China Sea, particularly in its southern part, called the Spratlys.

China insists it has historic rights and ownership over nearly the entire strategic waters where huge minerals and natural oil and gas deposits have been discovered in several areas. —LDF, GMA News