Philippines to abide by international law amid maritime row, stresses Marcos

August 29, 2024 , 07:43 PM

By Rodolfo Dacleson II

(August 29, 2024) – Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr. maintained on Thursday that the Philippines will continue to adhere to international law amid the continued tension in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos stressed that the landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016 that favored the Philippines remains essential to enforcing the country’s sovereign rights in the disputed region.

“The Permanent Court of Arbitration is an important part of our foreign policy considering all the challenges that we are facing right now,” said Marcos during a courtesy call with PCA secretary-general Marcin Czepelak, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office.

The historic ruling dismissed China’s excessive claims with its so-called nine-dash line. The administration of the late former president Noynoy Aquino III led the country’s appeal before the PCA.

“Our continuing adherence to international law the Permanent Court of Arbitration is on, we can say that it is an argument that we can make and have made in several instances,” added Marcos.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, however, simply dismissed the watershed decision, calling it a “piece of paper” that should be “thrown into the waste basket.” China has echoed Duterte’s remark in several instances.

Czepelak’s visit came after recent confrontations between the Philippines and China. On Sunday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) water cannoned and rammed a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources during a resupply mission to Escoda Shoal.

The following day, the CCG shadowed and rammed the ships of the Philippine Coast Guard in the same shoal.

ALSO READ: China Coast Guard rams, deploys water-cannon vs. BFAR vessel near Escoda Shoal

Marcos, who employed a “friend to all” approach in his foreign policy, reiterated that the country will never “instigate a war.”

ALSO READ: SPECIAL REPORT | Maritime tension: Does invoking Mutual Defense Treaty trigger immediate war?

Czepelak, meanwhile, recognized the country’s support for the PCA.

“The Philippines appreciates the PCA’s significant contributions to the peaceful settlement of disputes and the development of international law,” said Czepelak, as quoted by Department of Foreign Affairs secretary Enrique Manalo in a statement.

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