Palace rejects Del Rosario's call for Philippines to raise arbitral win at UN meet
MANILA, Philippines — Bringing up the arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea row during the United Nations General Assembly would be a "futile exercise" because the international body cannot enforce it, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has urged the Duterte administration to talk about the Philippines' legal victory against China during the 74th regular session of the UN General Assembly this month.
Del Rosario said the assembly would be an excellent opportunity for the Philippines to move forward its position on The Hague ruling, which invalidated Beijing's expansive maritime claim and upheld Manila's sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone.
READ: 'China will scoop all fish in West Philippine Sea'
The country's former top envoy said the Philippines could present a case for the UN "to reassert that right is might and the rule of law must be upheld."
He noted that Nicaragua had asked the UN to require the United States to adhere to a ruling by the International Court of Justice.
But presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo claimed Del Rosario's approach might not work.
"For one, it’s futile exercise. Why? because UN has no enforcement force," he said.
"He is citing the case of Nicaragua. Did anything happen there? None. It remained the same," he added.
READ: US slams 'bullying' in South China Sea
Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte finds his present approach on China effective.
"There is impasse but the talks are still ongoing. At the same time, he negotiates with respect to other areas of concern mutually beneficial to both (countries)," he added.
China has refused to recognize the arbitral ruling but has expressed readiness to hold bilateral negotiations with the Philippines.
Panelo said there would be no significant impact even if Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. talks about the arbitral ruling during the UN assembly in New York.
Locsin is scheduled to address the international body on September 28.
READ: China claims naming South China Sea islands with English names
The United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis continues underway in the South China Sea.
The US Pacific Command just reported that it has received "cargo" from support ship USNS Rainier in the disputed waters.
#GreatGreenFleet's USS @Stennis74 receives cargo from USNS #Rainier in the #SouthChinaSea - @US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/MnJWrow6Vv
— U.S. Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) June 10, 2016
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducts an aerial maritime inspection over Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc on Thursday, according to a report of PTV.
PTV says BFAR is checking if the southeast portion of Bajo de Mansinloc remains free from illegal and hazardous floating barriers.
Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast removed the chains surrounding the entrance of Bajo de Masinloc installed by the China Coast Guard. — PTV
The National Security Council condemns the installation of the floating barriers of the China Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc, PTV reports on Monday.
“It ruled categorically that such action by the PRC violated the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in the shoal who have been fishing there for centuries," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya says.
"Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS and international law, in general,” he adds.
PTV reports that BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21.
“The joint sail is part of the Philippine Navy's regular engagements with its partners in the Philippines' maritime zones. Bravo Zulu to all the personnel of both ships and those who planned this activity," Ltc Enrico Gil Ileto, Public Affairs AFP chief says.
WATCH: BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21. (????: AFP Wescom) | via Bea Bernardo (1/2) pic.twitter.com/DmJguzJSiF
— PTVph (@PTVph) September 22, 2023
Ahead of the second State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcis Jr, the descendants of the Bai sa Condor and Anta sa Tebouk, on behalf of the Iranun in the Philippines composed of 16 sultans, formally declares ownership of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoals as patrimony from their ancestors.
The declaration of ownership is led by Sultan Tomas Reyes Cabili, Jr. as part of the advocacy of the Tomas Ll. Cabili Foundation (TLC Foundation).
"TLC Foundation is doing this for our country’s sake as a whole on our claim for what is ours. Not just for our Muslim brothers and the Moro Origins of Mindanao (IRANUN), BUT for all the Filipinos - and the next generations to come. All the Philippines’ descendants of the Iranunis unfurling the historical dimension of the Spratlys and the ScarboroughShoals to strengthen the Philippines' claim on them and complement the theoretical frameworks already presented in the United Nations," Cabili says.
Raymond Powell, project lead at the Gordion Knot Center for National Security Innovation, tweets that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "maneuvered dangerously close" to two Philippine Coast Guard ships on a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last week.
In a tweet, Powell identifies the ships as BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua. He says these were escorting a small-boat resupply mission to the Philippines' outpost aboard BRP Sierra Madre and were met by an armada of CCG and militia ships, as well as a possible navy vessel.
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