Press Release
July 12, 2018

Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Partido Liberal president, on 2nd year of Hague ruling

Two years after the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Filipinos wonder what the international legal victory mean for them.

What if, after the ruling, the Philippine government used this as leverage to talk to China and push for an enforceable Code of Conduct in the South China Sea?

What if, after the ruling, the Philippine government used its ASEAN chairmanship in 2016 (the same year the ruling came out) and gathered consensus throughout the region for this same Code of Conduct?

What if, after the ruling, the Philippine government pushed for working guidelines on the sustainable use of marine and other resources in the disputed waters?

What if, after the ruling, the Philippine government conducted a summit of fisher folks from all claimant countries to discuss common concerns and propose ways of navigating the traditional fishing grounds and make their livelihood less dangerous?

What if, after the ruling, the Philippine government intensified its engagement with the naval powers of the world and its neighbor nations to assert freedom of navigation.

Peaceful, concrete actions are possible, especially after the historic ruling.

The challenge, not only for the Philippine and Chinese governments, but for all of us, people directly and indirectly affected, is to imagine and work toward a region where conflicts are resolved peacefully, with mutual respect, and for the common good.

Here and now, we believe all these what-ifs can still happen provided the national leadership commits to its sacred duty of vigorously upholding our sovereignty and defending our nation's waters.

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