China's 'inflammatory' stand on arbitral ruling on WPS an affront to PH, Hontiveros says
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, July 14 criticized the statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila declaring the landmark arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as “illegal, null and void” saying it is an affront to the Filipinos who courageously stood up for the country’s rights and interests.
“By ignoring the growing consensus coalescing around the Philippine victory in the West Philippine Sea Arbitral ruling, the Chinese government further isolates itself from the international community,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“The world has spoken: the territorial claims embodied in the so-called ‘9-dash line’ have no basis in history or international law,” she pointed out.
“Despite the name, the South China Sea is not Chinese, and the Chinese government has no special authority therein, other than as provided for in the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas),” she reiterated.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy said China’s position on “the arbitration and the award is consistent, clear and firm” and claimed that the Hague ruling gravely violated the UNCLOS and general international law.”
“The award is illegal, null and void,” the Embassy said in the statement.
The Chinese embassy also slammed the United States for using the issue to “exert pressure and force China into accepting the award.”
“China’s call for the rest of the world to stay out of the territorial dispute in the WPS and respect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests is the height of hypocrisy, as the Chinese government itself all too willingly violates the sovereignty, rights, and interests of other claimant countries when it thinks it can get away with it,” Hontiveros retorted.
“As to the alleged ‘mastermind’ of the arbitration case, I strongly urge the Chinese Embassy to at least show some basic courtesy to the Philippines, their host country, before deciding to release inflammatory statements on a day the Filipino people are celebrating a great victory,” she reiterated.
“This is an affront to the Filipinos who stood up for ourselves, and had the heart, courage, and fighting spirit to take China to court,” added the lawmaker.
Hontiveros said the Marcos administration should seriously consider reviewing the government’s policy toward China especially since it keeps on ignoring the arbitral ruling.