Bayan Muna: Arbitral court’s favorable ruling strengthens PHL position in bilateral talks

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12): Bayan Muna: Arbitral court’s favorable ruling strengthens PHL position in bilateral talks

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate on Tuesday said the favorable ruling of The Hague Arbitral Tribunal "strengthens and solidifies the Philippine position in future bilateral talks with China, especially now that her expansionist 9-dash line theory is declared without legal, historical and moral basis."

Despite the ruling in favor of the Philippines, Zarate also called on the international community to step in and pressure China to de-escalate the situation in the West Philippine Sea and should stop militarizing the area.

“China has already reclaimed at least 7 of our reefs such as the Panganiban (Mischief), Mabini (Johnson South), Gavin (Gaven), Calderon (Cuarteron), Hughes (Kennan), Malvar (Eldad) and Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reefs, that are clearly within Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone but hardly anything has been done by the previous Aquino administration to effectively address it," he pointed out.

Zarate said that in addition to the international support against China’s provocative acts, "we also urge the administration of Pangulong Digong Duterte to initiate further diplomatic moves to strengthen our own claims and fortify our positions, even as we engaged China in mutually beneficial bilateral or multilateral talks."

“Every Filipino here or abroad should defend our territory, our exclusive economic zones, our national sovereignty," Zarate said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=903416