Duterte says ‘time has come’ to invoke ‘arbitral ruling’ against China

A few days back it was reported that Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be visiting China again.

Some quarters are asking what will be the reason for the visit in Beijing.

And now, the reason was already revealed- the President said “time has come” to invoke the ‘arbitral ruling’ against China.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(photo credit to owner)

After temporarily shelving the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling won by the Philippines against China in 2016, to give way to a friendlier relations between the two countries, presidential Spokesperson Atty. Salvador Panelo said the President felt it was about time to do so during the second half his six-year term.

“He (Duterte) said, ‘Remember that I said before that there will be a time when I will invoke the arbitral ruling? This is the time that’s why I’m going there,’” Panelo said

“He precisely said that that is pursuant to what he said the first time we visited China and he said ‘There will be a time that I will raise this issue and talk about it but not now…the time has come,’” he added.

On July 12, 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) released its verdict on the Philippines’ arbitration case filed against China in 2013.

The arbitral ruling nullified a nine-dash line being used by China for the claims of nearly the entire WPS or South China Sea including part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The PCA concluded that there was “no legal basis” for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line.”

It also found that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its EEZ by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

China did not participate throughout the whole PCA proceedings as it refused to recognize the case lodged against it.

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Report from PNA