MANILA, Philippines – Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile expressed his belief that the arbitral ruling upholding the claims of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea is not meaningless.
Enrile issued the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his stand that the 2016 The Hague ruling nullifying China’s historical claims over the West Philippine Sea will just be rejected by China.
“This is really the dilemma of the nation. For me, the beginning of this problem was when we retreated,” Duterte said, referring to the 2012 standoff between the Philippines and China in the Scarborough Shoal.
“Since then, yung paper works about the arbitral award has become meaningless and the opposite camp of the political side ay nagsabi na I should do my very best in asking the UN,” he added.
But Enrile said the arbitral ruling on the issue will not go to waste as it is already on record. He also indicated that the award, which also voided China’s historical claims, was based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Sa aking paningin, hindi naman nasasayang yung desisyon ng arbitration diyan sa bagay na yan sapagka’t nandiyan na yun eh. Sa palagay ko nakarehistro ang decision sa record ng UN,” he said.
He, however, said any resolution coming from the UN will not have much effect as the body is powerless to enforce it.
“Ano pang kailangang resolusyon ng UN para malunasan ang sigalot na yan? Palagay ko kahit may resolution ng UN yan, di mapapatupad ng UN yung resolution nila. Wala silang police force eh. Wala namang world government na kagaya ng estruktura sa ating bansa,” he said.
Duterte thanked Enrile for his advise and for backing up the administration’s foreign policy, reiterating that he prefers to talk with China instead of using force to defend the Philippine sovereignty.
“I was frank enough in the early days that ‘might’ make it right. We are not unfortunately on the side of might. We cannot do anything in force so we have to talk,” he said.
“Just talk and talk until such time by grace of God until there is an opportunity in time,” he added.
Duterte invited Enrile to be a special guest during his weekly public address to speak on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.
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