The Philippines will remain firm in its stance on the sea dispute with China, Malacañang said Saturday, as it awaits the ruling of the The Hague-based international arbitral tribunal handling Manila's case.
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping revived calls for “friendly consultation and negotiation" to resolve the maritime row in the South China Sea, parts of which Manila calls West Philippine Sea.
"Well, panatag tayo pagdating sa tibay at sa pagiging tama ng ating kaso. At habang palapit na talaga ang desisyon na ‘to, katulad ng palagi nating sinasabi, ang paglilinaw ng mga issue ng mga karapatan ng mga overlapping claims at ang ating posisyon ay makatutulong ... hindi lang sa Pilipinas kung ‘di sa Tsina ... at sa buong Southeast Asia," Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said on state-run dzRB radio.
China has refused to participate in the arbitration process and pressed for bilateral negotiations, which the Philippines earlier turned down.
Beijing's bold moves to assert its territorial claims over almost the entire South China Sea had prompted Manila to turn to international arbitration.
The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims over areas in the South China Sea, where $5 trillion in annual world trade passes through.
Quezon said Manila will abide by the arbitral court's ruling, even as it stressed that the Philippines has a strong case.
"We would take that whatever statements are being issued from Beijing are reflecting the Chinese position which, of course, they have every right to ventilate," he said.
"But ... we are firm in our stand that we have a strong case and, more importantly, that having trusted the system, we will abide by whatever is decided," he added.
The hearing on the Philippine case against China was held last November at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
Next month, the arbitration panel will announce the court's ruling.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/564575/news/nation/palace-rejects-anew-beijing-s-call-for-bilateral-talks-over-sea-dispute
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