MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo yesterday stated that there is no new directive to ease efforts in asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Speaking at a media forum in Manila, the senior Filipino diplomat affirmed that the country has consistently adhered to a policy of diplomatically and peacefully managing disputes while steadfastly safeguarding its maritime rights over the area.
“So, our position has not changed, it remains the same. I think that’s how we will proceed in whatever future discussions we have,” he said.
Manalo emphasized that the government will continue to uphold a policy of transparency in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), highlighting that the actions taken by the country have consistently been based on international law.
He made this statement in relation to a query about whether Manila intends to maintain its approach of “assertive transparency,” which entails disclosing illegal and unilateral activities occurring within Philippine waters.
“The Philippines’ role as vanguard of the rule of law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the fundamental and only arbiter of the overlapping claims and disputes in the South China Sea, can be seen as an extension of Philippine good global citizenship as a peacemaker, rule-shaper and consensus-builder, as much as it is about Philippine territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” he said.
Manalo stated that Manila’s “principled rules-based approach on the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea” reflects its commitment to championing nothing less than what is just and fair.
“When a state becomes a party to a Treaty, it is under a legal obligation to bring its laws and conduct into conformity with the Treaty,” he said, referring to the UNCLOS.
“Efforts seeking to shape and use rules, going against international law, should be opposed or not accepted,” he added.
In 2016, an Arbitral Tribunal delivered a significant decision that nullified China’s broad territorial claims in the South China Sea. The ruling was grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both China and the Philippines are signatories.
On January 17th, the two countries convened for the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM), during which they deliberated on methods to “de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea.” Both parties reached an agreement to handle any incidents calmly through diplomatic channels.
Not part of US-China rivalry
During the same forum, Manalo emphasized that the disputes in the South China Sea are not solely about the rivalry between the United States and China. He highlighted that the region involves multiple nations and is not solely influenced by one or two major powers.
“Subscribing strictly to the prism of this rivalry does not help in an honest understanding of the situation. Firstly, it puts distinct and legitimate rights and interests of countries such as the Philippines aside, and secondary to the interests of the rivals,” he said.
“Secondly, it purposely obscures good judgment: actions that are clearly illegal in international law and against the UN Charter are sometimes rationalized under the pretext of this rivalry,” he added.
