Ex-DFA head urges incoming Duterte Admin to wait first for tribunal ruling before talking with China

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 7): Ex-DFA head urges incoming Duterte Admin to wait first for tribunal ruling before talking with China

Before pursuing bilateral negotiations with China regarding contested possessions in the West Philippine Sea, former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert Del Rosario urged the incoming Duterte administration to wait first for the tribunal ruling before talking with the Chinese.

He made this statement during the "Asia-Pacific Perspectives on Implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” forum held at the National Defense College of the Philippines, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Tuesday.

"I think it’s a matter of timing for example, in terms of the bilateral negotiations, we favor negotiations and the timing is, it must be geared towards the conclusion of the arbitration obviously for many reasons, most valid of which is the tribunal, we must await the decision from it before we start talking to China," he added.

The Philippines' arbitration case is before Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.

It is expected to rule within the month.

"I think the decision will come out soon and I think that will trigger what we want to do in terms of how we will settle with China in terms of the maritime entitlement settlement that will be defined," Del Rosario said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=892693