MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said any diplomatic action, either bilaterally or multilaterally, concerning the West Philippine Sea will be “carefully assessed and calibrated”.
The statement came as the Senate adopts Senate Resolution No. 718 (SRN 718) calling on the Philippine government to “take appropriate action” in asserting and securing the country's sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.
The measure also calls on China to stop its illegal activities in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea.
“The Philippine Government has a sustained program to promote the understanding of UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award to gain support of foreign governments for the Philippine position,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.
“All future diplomatic initiatives, both in the bilateral and multilateral realm, particularly the choice of modalities, fora and timing, will be carefully assessed and calibrated to ensure that these will promote the national interest and bring optimal benefits for the country,” she added.
She affirmed that the “interest of legislators on promoting the 2016 Arbitral Award represents a national consensus on the important contribution of the Award and UNCLOS to the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic nation, for which the rule of law on the oceans is a key national interest”.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said all 24 senators were invited by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. over a private dinner where he believes various issues will be taken up, including the SRN 718.
Several littoral states, including the Philippines and China, have overlapping sovereignty claims over the South China Sea, which the West Philippine Sea is a portion of.
In its newly launched microsite, DFA’s research arm Foreign Service Institute said all the claimants have adopted domestic legislation related to their claims, occupied features, and established outposts within their claimed areas.
The maritime rows also concern overlapping maritime claims with China’s so-called nine-dash line, which lays massive claim over the South China Sea, including the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile EEZ. (PNA)
