Pinoys in Malta back Philippines arbitration case vs China

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos in Malta have expressed support for the Philippines’ arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea issue.

Their declaration of support came after participants and delegates to the General Assembly and Regional Conference of the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFID) discussed the West Philippine Sea issue in Malta in July and August.

Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Robespierre Bolivar from the Philippine embassy in Brussels delivered the briefing on the conflicting claims in the West Philippine Sea on the invitation of the ENFID governing board.

His briefing included updates on the arbitration case filed by the Philippines in The Hague. A documentary, produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs, was also shown during the assembly.

Participants expressed their support for the Philippine government’s efforts to settle the dispute through peaceful means, especially through the filing of the arbitration case. 

The ENFID Malta Conference statement included a call for ENFID “to function as a platform for coordinating advocacy work at the European level [to] lobby against Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.”

Over 90 leaders of Filipino community organizations throughout Europe attended the regional conference, where issues affecting Filipino migrants in Europe were also discussed.