PH needs to compel China to abide by arbitral ruling by seeking UNGA’s help: Del Rosario

August 1, 2019

Former Foreign Affairs Seretary Albert del Rosario urged on Thursday the government to assert the arbitral ruling against China through the United Nations General Assembly before it is too late.

In a statement, del Rosario said going to the UN is one of the "two-fold" initiatives the Duterte administration should undertake.

"In adherence to the rule of law, we need to undertake a two-fold initiative before it becomes too late," Del Rosario said.

"We need to seek the support of the UN General Assembly in compelling Beijing to abide by the arbitral ruling," he said.

When President Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, he decided to shelve for the meantime the ruling of the arbitral tribunal and take a friendly stance with China in exchange for loans and other assistance.

Del Rosario said for three years, the Philippines had endeavored to deal with China on a bilateral basis. 

But he said this resulted in the country's being "bullied, harrrassed and intimidated."

"We are obviously no match for this Goliath who intends to have us for breakfast , lunch and dinner," he said.

"Before we get shoved around any further leading us to irreversible consequences, it is imperative for us to adopt a multilateral approach," Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario also proposed that at the UN and at other multilateral fora, the government also needs to bring to the fore China's threat of force. 

But he said, "to seek help, we must show that we are willing to be helped."

It was during Del Rosario's stint as foreign affairs secretary under the Aquino administration that the Philippines filed a petition before the UN Arbitral Tribunal questioning China's historic and sovereign claim in almost the entire South China Sea through nine-dash line, encroaching even the exclusive economic zones of other countries, like the Philippines.

The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidating China's nine-dash line.

But China refused to honor the ruling. Celerina Monte/DMS