Duterte tells China, ASEAN: Ruling in SCS case singles out no one

By Prince Golez

The 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed court that invalidated China’s claims to the South China Sea (SCS) “singles out no one,” President Rodrigo Duterte said during the 24th ASEAN-China Summit.

Duterte issued the statement as he called for a peaceful resolution of disputes in the hotly contested region.

“The 2016 Arbitral Award is a significant contribution to the corpus of international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. It singles out no one,” according to the chief executive.

“Rather, it justly favors and benefits the community of law-abiding nations by providing clarity to all. This clarity, which is beyond compromise, is the Philippines’ humble contribution to the international legal order,” he added.

Duterte also enjoined ASEAN and China to uphold the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and adhere to freedom of navigation and overflight, exercise self-restraint, and protect the marine environment as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Talks should not remain empty rhetoric. They should be translated into action to fortify the trust and confidence that have cultivated through the years. Acta non verba. Deeds, not words,” the President said, adding that the Philippines is committed to the conclusion of an “effective and substantive” Code of Conduct in the SCS.

The post Duterte tells China, ASEAN: Ruling in SCS case singles out no one first appeared on .

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