Opposition solon, Magdalo Party-List Rep. Manuel Cabochan III said President Duterte's affirmation of the Philippines' 2016 Arbitral Award before the United Nations (UN) General Assembly must be followed by concrete action, or else it's an empty gesture.

"It is worth noting that the President has finally, after four years, recognized the arbitration win of the Philippines against China on the West Philippine Sea issue. The UN General Assembly was a huge and significant forum to deliver his affirmation," Cabochan told the Manila Bulletin Thursday afternoon.

"However, we do hope that this is not merely for lip service. This should be backed by actions," said the congressman, who is a former Navy lieutenant.

Cabochan went on to provide a short list of thing he wants the Chief Executive to do in connection with the Philippines' disputes at-sea with China.

"For instance, his preference for Chinese-owned or -linked firms in government projects should be reconsidered. Participation in naval exercises in the South China Sea should be continued. Illegal immigration and the employment of Chinese in our country should also be prohibited," the solon enumerated.

Most of all, Cabochan said China "should be called out and held accountable for its continued aggression and blockades in the West Philippine Sea."

"These are more concrete acts that would affirm his commitment to assert our rights in the West Philippine Sea. Unless these actions are pursued, Duterte’s statements remain rhetorical just like his jetski promise," he noted.

It was at the height of the campaign period for the 2016 national elections when then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed to go to the Spratlys  via jetski and plant a Philippine flag there. The resource-rich Spratlys are among the hotly contested areas in the South China Sea.

In May 2016 or a month after making his jetski promise, Duterte won the presidential race via landslide. Just two months after that, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague awarded the arbitration case on the South China Sea dispute to the Philippines.

The Court's decision basically nullified China's expansive nine-dash line claim over the entire body of water, which according to Beijing is theirs based on historical right. China has not recognized the Arbitral Award.

The arbitral case was aggressively pursued by the Philippines during the previous Aquino administration, to the point of straining ties with China.