Duterte’s stance on South China Sea in UN speech ‘a good move,’ Karen Davila says

President Duterte has reaped praises for his strong position on the South China Sea in his first-ever United Nations address.

Broadcast journalist Karen Davila watched the President’s historic speech and lauded him for raising the country’s legal victory against China in the South China Sea dispute.

Davila, in a post on Twitter on Sept. 23, said the court ruling must be stressed at the gathering of the world body in the face of China’s influence.

“Good move by the President,” Davila tweeted. “This needs to be said at the UN General Assembly considering China’s growing influence in the UN system itself.”

Davila also echoed the statement of former Palace official Manolo Quezon on the importance of declaring the country’s arbitral win in the territorial dispute at the UN.

“@mlq3 points, ‘Words matter as it will be part of the official record,'” Davila said.

The President, in a taped message to the UN body on Sept. 22, said the ruling of the Hague-based court, that rejected China’s claims in the disputed waters, has become part of international law.

Duterte said the arbitral award issued in favor of the Philippines in 2015 is “beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish, or abandon.”

Good move by the President. This needs to be said at the UN General Assembly considering China’s growing influence in the UN system itself. @mlq3 points, “Words matter as it will be part of the official record”. https://t.co/HNFdcaS5lF

— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) September 23, 2020

Words do matter as they form part of the official record. https://t.co/X9DCbOb45V

— Manuel L. Quezon III (@mlq3) September 23, 2020

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)