Bringing up the 2016 arbitral court ruling on the South China Sea before the United Nations General Assembly would be a “futile exercise,” as the international body has no power to enforce it, Malacañang said yesterday.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship blocked Filipino vessels conducting a resupply mission to a Philippine Navy ship stationed in the West Philippine Sea.

Echoing Malacañang's stance, the country's top diplomat thumbed down the idea of raising the arbitral ruling at the UN.

President Duterte is seeking common ground with Beijing on the planned joint exploration in Philippine waters and has not abandoned the 2016 arbitral court ruling favoring the Philippine position on the South China Sea, Malacañang told Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday.

The US Navy said that one of its destroyers had sailed close to the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Friday, asserting international freedom of navigation rights in the contested waters.