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Galvez prods defense ministers, diplomats to support Hague's South China Sea ruling
By GISELLE OMBAY,GMA Integrated News Department of National Defense (DND) Officer-In-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. encouraged foreign defense ministers, officials, and diplomats to support the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling which rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
During the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) held from June 2 to 4, 2023 in Singapore, Galvez joined United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace and Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand in leading the discussions on the topic “Building a Stable and Balanced Asia-Pacific.”
In his statement, Galvez pointed out the role of international law as the “greatest equalizer” among states, recalling how it pushed the Philippines to resort to the compulsory dispute settlement mechanism of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and The Hague Tribunal due to the territorial issue with China in the South China Sea.
“[Galvez] encouraged all parties who subscribe to the rule-of-law to express support for the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award and what it stands for as it is ultimately this support that will preserve the global order at sea and uphold the universally recognized principles of international law,” the Department of National Defense (DND) said in a statement on Sunday.
The Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. The tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.
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Galvez also said that upholding the primacy of the rule-of-law and the continued pursuit of dialogue and multilateralism maintained the long peace and stability in the region amid increasing strains on the security environment.
He also stressed the importance of multilateralism in fostering the political will and mutual trust needed for constructive dialogue and reaching an agreement to abide by a shared system of norms and values.
“This statement reaffirms that multilateralism remains an effective strategy for modernizing collective defense, deterring aggression, and maintaining peace and prosperity — a strategy that can create a strong message that the Philippines is not alone in shedding light on the situation in the South China Sea,” the DND said.
The SLD, dubbed as “Asia’s premier defense summit,” is an annual gathering of defense ministers, senior military officials, diplomats, security experts, and practitioners, which ushers significant debates on the region’s most pressing security issues and important talks to generate fresh approaches together.
Galvez also met with his counterparts from Singapore, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, and the United States on the sidelines of the SLD. — DVM, GMA Integrated News