WPS: Coercive acts persist despite PH win at The Hague – Romualdez

 

 

MANILA, Philippines — Coercive activities committed against the Philippines persist despite the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling granting it exclusive rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Monday.

In his keynote speech for the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PI-SF) held at the Batasang Pambansa complex on Monday, Romualdez noted that the Philippine government treats the WPS issue with urgent concern, as China’s activities still threaten a rules-based order.

The Philippines is hosting the PI-SF from February 3 to 4, which brings together lawmakers and government officials from across the globe talking about shared security concerns and other transnational crimes.

READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea 

“For the Philippines, the situation in the West Philippine Sea remains a direct and urgent concern.  This is not just a matter of territorial integrity—it is a test of the international community’s commitment to upholding international law and ensuring freedom of navigation,” he said.

“In 2016, the Philippines secured a historic victory through the arbitral ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, affirming our sovereign rights within our exclusive economic zone and rejecting expansive claims based on the so-called nine-dash line. Yet, despite this legal clarity, we continue to face gray zone tactics, coercive actions, illegal fishing, and militarization of artificial islands,” he added.

Romualdez said that the Philippine Congress had supported President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s renewed push for upholding territorial integrity by crafting bills that turned into Republic Act No. 12064, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, and R.A. No. 12065, or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, ensuring the lawful passage of foreign vessels in our waters while protecting national security.

“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines is fortifying its multilateral relations and strengthening partnerships to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The Philippine Congress has supported these initiatives,” he said.

READ: The heart of the dispute over the West PH Sea 

The WPS issue and the 2016 PCA award, which gave the Philippines exclusive rights over the West Philippine Sea while declaring China’s nine-dash line claim invalid due to lack of legal and historical basis, were key points in Romualdez’s speech.

According to the Speaker, while the Indo-Pacific region remains economically vibrant, challenges such as territorial disputes and emerging threats hinder development.

Romualdez also said that lawmakers play a crucial a role in upholding a rules-based order in tackling territorial disputes, adding that such an order safeguards smaller nations like the Philippines against the arbitrary use of power.

“The West Philippine Sea issue underscores the importance of preserving a rules-based international order.  For smaller nations like the Philippines, this order serves as a safeguard against the arbitrary use of power and ensures that disputes are resolved peacefully, through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than coercion or intimidation,” Romualdez said.

“As parliamentarians, we have a shared responsibility to uphold this order — by strengthening alliances, reinforcing multilateral institutions, and ensuring compliance with international rulings like the 2016 Arbitral Award,” he added.

The administration of late former President Benigno Aquino III filed an arbitration case before the PCA, which is based in The Hague, the Netherlands.  China however did not participate in the discussions despite being asked by PCA, and has not recognized the said ruling.

 

Despite the ruling, China’s incursion over the WPS has not stopped — leading to several incidents and diplomatic protests filed over the years, even as the country enjoyed better ties with Beijing under Aquino’s successor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

These incursions have continued under Marcos’ term, but the incumbent chief executive assured the public several times that the Philippines will not lose an inch of its territory.

Several of the islands China claims are well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including Panatag Shoal, located 220 kilometers west of Zambales, and Ayungin Shoal, approximately 315 kilometers off the coast of Palawan, where BRP Sierra Madre remains beached.

READ: Chinese ship collides with PH resupply boat 

Last October 2022, one of the Chinese Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard counterpart, ending up in a collision with a Philippine resupply boat.

Then, last August 2023, the Philippines and China were involved in another incident after a Chinese Coast Guard vessel water-cannoned Philippine vessels in another resupply mission.

These aggressive actions have led Marcos, former United States President Joe Biden, and former Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to call on China to stop using its Coast Guard in a coercive manner.

 

(2025/02/03-14:40)