THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) launched on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, a microsite that contains official information and position on the award bestowed to the Philippine on the South China Sea Arbitration.
The launching coincides with the seventh anniversary of the issuance of the South China Sea Arbitration by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, which invalidates China's claim over the 90 percent of the South China Sea, including the smallest West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a statement, the DFA said the award, which is an affirmation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and its dispute settlement mechanisms definitively settled the status of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the disputed territory and declared without legal effect claims that exceed entitlements beyond the geographic and substantive limits set by Unclos.
It said that the ruling is now a part of international law.
"Anniversaries are markers reminding us of the trajectory we have taken as a nation and as a people. In the decision to file a case for arbitration, the Philippines opted to take the path of principle, the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes," the DFA said.
"The Tribunal's decision affirmed the correctness of that course of action. The award has since facilitated the plotting of new paths and trajectories. reflecting the rich maritime heritage of our country and our people, firm in the conviction that our rights over our maritime jurisdictions are indisputable," it added.
China rejected the ruling, saying that the Arbitral Tribunal did not have jurisdiction in the case and maintained ownership of the territory.
Over the years, the Philippines have filed numerous protests against China over the harassment of either Filipino troops or fishermen in the disputed waters. (SunStar Philippines)