The Philippines should reject the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea if it does not recognize the 2016 Arbitral Award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating China’s excessive claims to it and reaffirming Manila’s exclusive economic zone, including the West Philippine Sea, a former Foreign Affairs secretary said Friday.
“For the Philippines, the way to honor the rule of law in the South China Sea is to consistently take the rightful position of rejecting any COC that does not serve to make the award an integral part of it,” said Albert del Rosario, who served as Foreign Affairs secretary during the Aquino administration.
Del Rosario made the statement as the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit opens today in Bangkok, Thailand.
The former top diplomat said the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea dispute should be made an integral part of “a binding Code of Conduct.”
“Our region cannot promote the rule of law while ignoring the law as it stands. ASEAN member states… are state parties to UNCLOS,” he said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “As such, they should recognize that the award rendered by an UNCLOS Tribunal is a valid and binding judgment under international law.”
Del Rosario urged the Philippine government to be vigilant against any effort by China to undermine the country’s maritime territory in the disputed South China Sea.
But Philippine Ambassador to Bangkok Mary Jo Bernardo-Aragon said the early conclusion of the COC would greatly reduce tension in the region.
The Philippines serves as coordinator of the ASEAN-China dialogue partnership from 2018 to 2021, which includes negotiations for the COC.
“As a country coordinator for the ASEAN-China Dialogue, I believe it is to the interest of ASEAN that we look forward to an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” Aragon said.
“I think this will greatly help reduce tension in the region which… should be conducive to the sustained economic growth of the region which is a common interest to all ASEAN member countries,” Philippine envoy added.
