Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday reiterated his appeal to President Duterte to get the support of other countries to pressure China to comply with the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea.

In a statement, Del Rosario also chided Palace spokesman Harry Roque for questioning his qualifications for suggesting that the President should put in reality his invocation of the arbitral award at the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by rallying the support of other countries in enforcing the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague against China.  

“When China, in flagrant violation of international law was bullying our President with threats of war, where was the Palace spokesperson?” the former DFA chief said.

The former top diplomat, who also served as ambassador to the United States under the Arroyo administration, further said his suggestion is about the protection of the country’s coral reef systems and breeding grounds of fish which took thousands of years to form and, in a short span of time, destroyed by China to construct its military facilities and artificial islands in the Spratlys.

“Throughout these years, we have been calling upon our countrymen to unite and protect our West Philippine Sea. We continue to make this call and our respectful suggestion stands: Please, Mr. President, get the support of other countries to pressure China to comply with the arbitral ruling,” he said.

In a pre-recorded speech at the UNGA meet on Wednesday, Duterte raised the issue of the landmark ruling, saying the “Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish, or abandon.”

“We firmly reject attempts to undermine it,” the President said in his first-ever address before the world body