MANILA, Philippines — For his rare attack on China’s militarization of the South China Sea, President Duterte has received praises from one of the most vocal critics of his administration’s sidestepping Beijing’s massive maritime claim – former foreign affairs chief Albert del Rosario.
“We want to respectfully commend President Duterte on his recent remarks about China’s aggressive and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea,” Del Rosario said yesterday at a forum on rules-based system organized by Stratbase ADR Institute in Taguig City.
Del Rosario, who led the Philippines in its successful arbitration case against Beijing in 2012, said the President’s manifestation of “positive leadership” would “encourage and inspire” Filipinos.
“If we truly adhere and respect the rule of law, we should actively seek to end any unlawful and aggressive attack to the rules-based international system,” he said.
Duterte and members of his Cabinet had refused to criticize Beijing’s continued incursion in Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea, citing the need to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Del Rosario noted that Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea remains one of the “most important and contentious external threats” in the region.
In July 2016, the Philippines won the case against China before the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.
The tribunal invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements. Beijing, however, has refused to acknowledge the ruling.
Earlier this week, Duterte said China’s claim to airspace above its newly built man-made islands in the South China Sea is “wrong” and that Beijing should “temper” its behavior.
“You cannot create an island, it’s man-made, and you say that the air above these artificial islands is yours,” Duterte said.
“That is wrong because those waters are what we consider international sea,” the President said.
Duterte said under international law, “the right of innocent passage is guaranteed” and that no permission is needed to sail through the open seas.
At the same forum United Kingdom Foreign Office Minister Mark Field pressed for a rules-based approach to settling territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Field is in the Philippines as part of his six-country Southeast Asia trip.
“In the South China Sea, we urge all parties to respect freedom of navigation and international law, including the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague,” he said.
He said the competing claims in the South China Sea must be resolved not through force, militarization or coercion but through dialogue and in accordance with international law.
He said UK is backing the rules-based international system in Asia through its security cooperation as well as humanitarian support and diplomacy.
Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely, who was one of the speakers at the forum, said the situation in the South China Sea represents a serious challenge to a rules based order in the region.
She said negotiating a strong and effective Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, without prejudicing the interests and rights of non-signatories, could immensely help preserve stability in the region. Gorely also stressed that concerns of third parties should be incorporated in the COC.
Palace to blame
Meanwhile, Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said Malacañang has no one to blame but itself for the growing threat to the country from China.
“China is apparently treating the Duterte administration as a pushover by doing what they want not only in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal but in the rest of the West Philippine Sea with nary a whimper from Malacañang,” he said.
“Now they even rebuffed President Duterte himself when he called on China to rethink its conduct in the disputed sea. China insisted that they have the right to react to foreign ships or aircraft that get close to the contested islands,” he said.
The President urged China to temper its conduct after Chinese forces warned a Philippine surveillance plane of grave consequences if it continued to fly over the islands Beijing has converted into military fortresses. – With Jess Diaz