Published May 7, 2021 7:58pm
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said it will uphold President Rodrigo Duterte's statement asserting the Philippines' arbitral victory against China on the South China Sea disputes before the United Nations in 2020, days after the Philippine leader belittled the ruling.
For the first time since the Philippines won its case against China in 2016, Duterte declared before the UN General Assembly in September last year that the ruling is "beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.”
Duterte, who has cultivated good relations with Beijing in exchange for Chinese aid and investments, previously shelved the arbitration ruling and has been criticized for his friendly overtures to China despite its aggressive actions and efforts to drive away Filipinos from its own waters in the West Philippine Sea.