13 Phl allies reject China’s sea claims

“We reaffirm the arbitral tribunal’s decision that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including those based on ‘historic rights,’” the joint statement read.

While China is a signatory to UNCLOS, like the Philippines, Beijing has remained steadfast in its refusal to honor the arbitral ruling, deriding it as “illegal,” “null,” and having “no binding effect” on China.

Dismissive

The Chinese Embassy in Manila maintained that the award “is nothing but a piece of waste paper that Beijing will neither accept nor recognize.”

“Ten years on, China’s position on the South China Sea remains as clear, consistent and firm as ever.

“Regardless of how some choose to distort facts or misinterpret international law, China’s position has never wavered,” the embassy said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Despite China’s dismissal of the ruling, the countries supporting Manila’s position asserted that the decision was “final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines with respect to the maritime entitlements and claims addressed by the arbitral tribunal.”

They also strongly opposed the “use of coast guard, military, and maritime militia forces to harass, obstruct, or intimidate lawful operations,” whether at sea or in the air, which “seriously degrade[s] regional peace and security.”

Manila also enjoys the support of several other countries in its push to uphold its sovereign and maritime rights in the WPS, although they were not part of the joint statement.

The Philippines and China have maintained diplomatic relations despite their longstanding maritime dispute.

Senators echo call

The two countries have long been embroiled in a maritime row over Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in nearly the entire SCS, including areas that overlap with the WPS.

The 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s nine-dash line claims over most of the SCS, ruling that they have no legal basis under international law.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a staunch critic of Beijing, said the anniversary of the 2016 ruling had become even more significant because of the expanded territorial claims made by Chinese scholars over Batanes, which she described as part of the “Chinese government’s propaganda.”

“Chinese academics have gone so far as to claim that Batanes belongs to China. This is a grave insult to every Ivatan, to every Filipino, and further proof of how deeply the Chinese government’s propaganda has taken root in its own people.

“China’s disinformation campaigns are exactly why the arbitral award matters, not only as a landmark ruling etched in the annals of history, but as a shield against those who systematically spread lies,” she said on Sunday.

The claims by Chinese academics during a recent symposium at Jinan University drew protests and criticism after they described Batanes, the Philippines’ northernmost island province, as a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan.

‘Illegal claims’

Hontiveros joined critics in denouncing the scholars’ territorial claims, saying they were not only an affront to the Philippines but also “a grave insult to every Ivatan,” the Austronesian ethnolinguistic group living in Batanes.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, meanwhile, underscored the need to pass the proposed West Philippine Sea Education Act, which would require the mandatory teaching of the 2016 arbitral ruling and the country’s maritime rights to Filipino students in response to China’s disinformation.

“Baseless claims that certain parts of the Philippines belong to other countries should not be given credence and must be repelled on all fronts. We will continue to stand firm, defend our territory, and protect what rightfully belongs to the Filipino people,” Tulfo said.

If left unchallenged, Tulfo warned, China could further expand its illegal claims over Philippine waters.

Similar measures have been filed in the House of Representatives but remain pending at the committee level.