Verdict on South China Sea hailed

KNOW HOPE. Pag-asa is the largest island controlled by the Philippines in the disputed Spratlys. On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had no legal basis to claim "historical rights" over islands in the South China Sea. (Philip C. Tubeza)

FILIPINOS in Hong Kong are cheering a ruling of an international court which said that China had no legal basis to claim “historic rights” over islands in the South China Sea.

Eman Villanueva, Bayan Hong Kong & Macau chairman, said the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) brought cheer to Filipinos in the city, most of whom are household service workers.

“Malapit sa puso ng bawat Pilipino ang national sovereignty and national pride. Ang desisyon na ito ay nagbibigay ng dagdag na pride sa mga Pilipino dito sa Hong Kong na ang karamihan ay domestic workers,” Villanueva said.

“Minsan kasi aping-api na nga ang mga kababayan natin dito, pati ba naman ang bansa natin, aping-api pa rin?” he added.

Villanueva said many Filipinos here come from impoverished families, among them fisherfolk who were barred from their traditional fishing grounds that had become disputed waters.

He said the ruling should provide economic relief to the families of these workers.

“Beyond the Filipinos in Hong Kong, ang isyung ito ay malapit sa lahat ng mga Pilipino kahit saan man sa mundo at isa ito sa mga ginawa ng administrasyong Aquino na sinang-ayunan namin dahil hindi namin gusto ang war-mongering ng US dahil may sarili itong interes,” Villanueva said.

He added that the ruling should put the Philippine government in a stronger position should it decide to pursue bilateral or multilateral talks with China and other states or parties, which have interest in keeping the South China Sea lanes open for freedom of navigation.

The PCA, which is based in The Netherlands, ruled on July 12 that Beijing had violated Manila’s sovereign rights in claiming the entire South China Sea through its nine-dash line policy.

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

Manila filed the case in 2013 against Beijing, which refused to participate in the case, saying the tribunal had “no jurisdiction” over the issue.

The tribunal said Beijing historical rights “were extinguished to the extent they were incompatible with the exclusive economic zones provided for in the Convention” – referring to the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.

“China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, by constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Filipino fishermen from fishing in the zone,” the PCA said.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay welcomed the “milestone” decision as he called on all stakeholders to proceed with “restraint and sobriety.”

“Our experts are studying the Award with the care and thoroughness that this significant arbitral outcome deserves. In the meantime, we call on all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety,” Yasay said.

“The decision upholds international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. The Philippines reiterates its abiding commitment to efforts to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with a view to promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region,” he added.

Beijing Foreign Ministry, for its part, said it “does not accept and does not recognize” the ruling.

“The award is null and void and has no binding force,” the ministry said, adding that Beijing “does not accept any means of third party dispute settlement or any solution imposed on China.”

“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards…China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards,” it added.

At the House of Representatives, incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Congress will thoroughly study the PCA ruling “to determine our next moves on the issue, particularly with respect to stepping up economic exploration efforts in the South China Sea and maintaining peace and stability in the region.”

In the Senate, lawmakers hailed the ruling even as they expressed hope that the Philippines and China can now begin mending strained relations.

“We hope that the decision puts to rest any tension, mend strained relations, and restore goodwill in the region. Asean and China can now move forward to finalize the Code of Conduct to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Senate President Franklin Drilon said.