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DND on PCA ruling 9th anniversary: Rule of law matters
The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday said the Permanent Court Arbitration (PCA) ruling on the South China Sea in 2016 showed that the rule of law matters.
"On this ninth anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the South China Sea, we are reminded of something simple yet powerful: the rule of law matters. For countries like the Philippines, an archipelagic nation whose very existence is intertwined with the maritime domain, respect for international law is not just a principle. It is a lifeline," DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a statement.
READ ???????? | Statement of Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. on the anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award
— Department of National Defense - Philippines (@dndphl) July 12, 2025
Full statement also available ???? https://t.co/XYSsbtyUv9#DNDPHL #PilipinasDiKaPasisiil #PHArbitralVictory #UNCLOS #WestPhilippineSea #BagongPilipinas pic.twitter.com/tctlrFryVL
"The Arbitral Award, which clearly affirmed our sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, is not merely a legal pronouncement. It is a resounding declaration that the only legitimate guide for the conduct of nations is the rule of law – never the imposition of might," he added.
Teodoro said the Philippines views the PCA ruling "not just as a cornerstone of our foreign and security policy, but as an irreducible truth."
"We continue to uphold the Award because it reflects what is right and just – not just for us, but for all coastal states whose rights must be respected under international law. No amount of pressure, reinterpretation, or power plays can erase that truth," he said.
"Let it be abundantly clear: defending our sovereign rights and jurisdiction is not an act of provocation. It is the sacred and fundamental duty of the Republic – an expression of our responsibility to our nation, to the Filipino people, and to the countless generations of Filipinos who will inherit this sacred trust," Teodoro said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) meanwhile on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the 2016 ruling of the PCA and "protect what is rightfully ours" in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
"As the protector of the nation's territorial integrity, the AFP remains steadfast in its duty to uphold this ruling through deliberate and sustained action," it said in a statement.
The Philippines on Friday renewed its call to China to comply with the nine-year-old arbitration ruling that nullified Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, saying all countries, “regardless of size, might, or capacity must meet their duties and obligations” under international law.
Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro made the call a day before the anniversary of the July 12, 2016 ruling by The Hague tribunal that she said “sets reason and right in the South China Sea.”
“Nine years hence, its legitimacy continues to be tested, challenged, and subverted, putting not only the Philippines’ maritime interests in peril, but also the regional stability and prosperity we are all working so hard to achieve,” Lazaro said in a recorded video message at a forum commemorating the tribunal ruling hosted by Stratbase ADR Institute.
The Philippines filed a case before The Hague-based PCA in January 2013 contesting China's excessive claims — anchored on its unilateral nine-dash-line map — in the South China Sea.
On July 12, 2016, the PCA issued a ruling that invalidated Beijing’s massive claims in South China Sea.
"The Tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’," the PCA said.
"[Although] two Chinese navigators and fishermen, as well as those of other States, had historically made use of the islands in the South China Sea, there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or their resources," it added.
China, however, has repeatedly refused to recognize the PCA ruling and said it does not accept any claim or action based on the ruling.
"With its ruling, the tribunal violated the principle of state consent, went beyond its authority to hear the case and perverted law," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbing told a regular news conference in July 2023.
The Philippines and China continue to be embroiled in a territorial dispute.
READ: Defending Our Territory: The West Philippine Sea (Part 1)
READ: Defending our Territory: Actions of PH Presidents in WPS (Part 2)
—KG, GMA Integrated News
