Yasay: PHL holding on to tribunal ruling that voids China’s claims

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay on Monday reaffirmed the government’s support for the arbitral decision that invalidated China’s massive claims in the South China Sea.

He, however, stressed that it was not yet time to bring the matter up with Beijing while both sides are in the process of mending their ties.

Yasay issued a clarification two days after President Rodrigo Duterte said he would set aside the international tribunal’s ruling because he did not want to impose anything on China as "politics in Southeast Asia" change.

“While it may not yet be opportune to bring up the arbitral ruling, the Philippine government reaffirms its respect for this milestone ruling and will be guided by its parameters when tackling the issue of maritime claims in the South China Sea,” Yasay said.

Yasay explained that since 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,” Yasay said.

“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," he added.

Duterte in a midnight news conference in Davao City on Saturday that he would not press China on the Arbitral Tribunal's ruling on the South China Sea, despite China's alleged placement of weapon systems on several reefs in the Spratly Islands.

"In the play of politics now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling," said Duterte.

"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 [US forces] go out of my country," he added.

Duterte declared that he would work for the abrogation of the Visiting Forces  Agreement.

This developed after the US Millennium Challenge Corporation decided to defer voting on another round of assistance for the Philippines due to concerns over rights violations in the country.

"What's the use of hosting here if you think we are a bunch of criminals [because of the alleged extra-judicial killings]," Duterte said.

As a state party to the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Yasay said “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,” he said.

A US think-tank has reported that China appeared to have installed anti-missile and anti-aircraft weapons system in one of the artificial islands it built in the disputed waters - a provocative move that is likely to alarm other claimants.

However, Yasay last week was quick to say that the Philippines will not protest China’s latest actions.

He also did not say in his latest statement that Manila will resort to such diplomatic move.  

Since he assumed office in June, Duterte has taken steps to repair ties with China that considerably deteriorated during the time of his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who brought the territorial rifts to international arbitration in January 2013.

In July 12 this year, an international tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands delivered a sweeping victory to the Philippines on the case it filed against China and invalidated Beijing's massive and historical claims on nearly the entire South China Sea. —NB, GMA News