MANILA – The United States vowed to continue working with the Philippines in safeguarding maritime security in the South China Sea (SCS) as the country prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award.
At a reception hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC on July 8 (US time), Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael George DeSombre said the landmark decision remains the most authoritative basis for peacefully resolving disputes in the South China Sea.
He then emphasized the key role of the Philippines-US alliance in promoting stability in the region.
“Together, we are working to safeguard maritime security in the South China Sea and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. Highlighting the importance of the Arbitral Award is a testament to our shared interests and vision for the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention dismissed China’s so-called nine-dash line as illegal in the vital sea lane.
The Philippines commemorates the award's 10th anniversary this year under the theme “A Decade Hence: The Enduring Promise of Peaceful Dispute Settlement.”
In the same reception, University of the Philippines (UP) Institute for Marine and Law of the Sea Director Jay Batongbacal said the ruling fully galvanized the Philippines’ national response to issues in the South China Sea.
“Our people have never been so united around a single foreign policy issue. The Arbitration has become a catalyst for national awareness and national unity, and that shows us the power of this ideal that right is might,” he said.
Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby, associate professor at the De La Salle University Department of International Studies, described it as a “legal and moral victory” for the Philippines.
“It bears repeating that in a world of great powers, international law remains a critical tool that small and medium powers like the Philippines can use to protect and advance their national interests,” she said.
“It is up to us to continue upholding rules and norms that ensure the functions of international relations.”
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, meanwhile, said Manila affirms its continuing commitment to the rule of law.
“(The award) reminds us that international law derives its strength not from force or coercion, but from the collective resolve of nations to uphold and respect it. It reminds us that the true measure of a rules-based order is not whether it is convenient, but whether it is defended precisely when it is challenged and when it is applied to all or to no one at all,” he said.
The reception was also attended by Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Hunt VanderToll and the Philippine government’s former counsel during the 2016 arbitration, Paul Reichler. (PNA)
