DFA: Arbitral win still compass in sea dispute with China

As the Philippines marks the ninth anniversary of its landmark legal win at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday reaffirmed that the 2016 ruling remains the country’s moral and legal compass in asserting its rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement, the DFA said the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has become a “cornerstone” of Philippine maritime policy and a guide for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.

“It is an illuminating precedent for States facing similarly challenging circumstances in the seas, and the clearest of reminders to the international community that the rule of law can be the great equalizer between and among nations, and serve as the bedrock of peace and stability for the international community,” it stressed. 

The 2016 decision by the Hague-based tribunal invalidated China’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim, which covers nearly 85% of the South China Sea,  including areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

Issued on 12 July 2016, the ruling upheld Manila’s case filed in 2013, which challenged the legal basis of China’s sweeping maritime claims, particularly in the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal—two key islands in the South China Sea (SCS).

The DFA emphasized that the historic arbitral award, now embedded in international jurisprudence, has since been cited by other global legal bodies including the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), reinforcing its legitimacy and finality.

It added that the award remains a living document and a guide not only for the Philippines but for the international community,  in promoting a rules-based maritime order anchored on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Despite the ruling, Beijing continues to reject the decision and asserts sweeping claims over the SCS, including areas within Manila’s maritime domain in the WPS. 

On Friday, the Philippines renewed its call for China to comply with the arbitral decision, saying all nations — “regardless of size, might, or capacity” — must fulfill their obligations under international law.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro described China's continued defiance of the ruling as “worrisome,” citing its “illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions” in the SCS, carried out under the guise of an alternative reading of international law, particularly the UNCLOS.

By rejecting the 2016 Arbitral Award, Lazaro stressed China is advancing a revisionist and self-serving view of international law.

“Nine years hence, its legitimacy continues to be tested, challenged, and subverted, putting not only the Philippines’ maritime interests in peril, but also the regional stability and prosperity we are all working so hard to achieve,” she said.