Manila Bulletin
Philippines
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Law over force: PH stands firm on arbitral win nine years since landmark victory
Philippines
National
Law over force: PH stands firm on arbitral win nine years since landmark victory
Law over force: PH stands firm on arbitral win nine years since landmark victory
Published Jul 11, 2025 12:08 pm
Members of Akbayan Partylist celebrate “West Philippine Sea Victory Day” and commemorate the anniversary of the Philippines’ 2016 Arbitral Tribunal victory by waving flags during a program in Quezon City on July 11, 2025. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands issued on July 12, 2016 an arbitral ruling which declared that China’s nine-dash line claims, including those within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), have no legal basis under international law. (Photo: Santi San Juan / MANILA BULLETIN)
The national government reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling in the face of continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), nine years since the country secured the historic victory against China.
The Department of National Defense (DND) said the arbitral ruling is a simple yet powerful reminder that “the rule of law matters” especially in the face of harassment.
“The Arbitral Award, which clearly affirmed our sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, is not merely a legal pronouncement. It is a resounding declaration that the only legitimate guide for the conduct of nations is the rule of law – never the imposition of might,” DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on the eve of the anniversary on Friday, July 11.
He said the Philippines views the award not just as a cornerstone of the Marcos administration’s foreign and security policy, “but as an irreducible truth.”
“We continue to uphold the Award because it reflects what is right and just – not just for us, but for all coastal states whose rights must be respected under international law. No amount of pressure, reinterpretation, or power plays can erase that truth,” he underscored.
He said that this is particularly important since the Philippines is an archipelagic nation whose very existence is intertwined with the maritime domain, and respect for international law is not just a principle but also a lifeline.
Based on a 2024 government data, around 75,520 metric tons (seven percent) of the country’s national fisheries production came from the WPS.
However, fishermen have been having fewer catches ever since due to the presence of Chinese military, coast guard, and militia vessels in their traditional fishing grounds, such as Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in Masinloc, Zambales.
Issued by the PCA in The Hague, Netherlands on July 12, 2016, the arbitral ruling declared that China’s nine-dash line (now ten-dash) claims, including those within the Philippines’ EEZ, have no legal basis under international law.
The tribunal stated that only naturally formed islands can generate EEZs under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). As such, China’s reclaimed islands such as the Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef, Mischief (Panganiban) Reef, and Subi (Zamora) Reef were originally low-tide elevations or rocks, not true islands.
To simplify, this means that China cannot claim 200 nautical mile EEZs from the said artificial islands and the waters around such features still fall within the Philippines’ EEZ, not China, according to the arbitral ruling.
Teodoro stressed that defending the country’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction is not an act of provocation but a “sacred and fundamental duty of the Republic.”
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said commemorating the anniversary of the PCA ruling must also come with a decisive action to confront the continuing illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) actions in the WPS which threaten regional peace and stability.
“The Award remains a definitive triumph of reason over force and of rules over coercion. It reaffirmed the primacy of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the constitution of the oceans, and clarified with finality the extent of our maritime rights and entitlements in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
“The decision categorically rejected the so-called 'nine-dash line' and China’s sweeping claims of historic rights over nearly the entire South China Sea. It upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights within our Exclusive Economic Zone, and ruled against interference in the lawful activities of our vessels and fisherfolk. It also called out the environmental destruction caused by unlawful reclamation and militarization of maritime features,” Año stated.
The arbitral ruling has guided the Philippines’ national maritime strategy and domestic legislation.
Años said the government has enshrined the arbitral award in Philippine laws through the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (Republic Act 12064) and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (Republic Act 12065).
He said it has also guided the National Security Commission’s (NSC) National Security Policy (Executive Order No.37) and National Security Strategy (Memorandum Circular No. 75).
“Notwithstanding claims to the contrary, the Award is final and binding. It cannot be erased by intimidation or misinformation. It is now an enduring part of international law and continues to serve as a beacon for all peace-loving nations who champion the rule of law,” he said.