By Gloria Jane Baylon
The Philippine government said on Tuesday its dispute with China over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the South China Sea could be brought before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS), and invited Beijing to join in this effort.
In a statement, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that “international law would be the great equalizer†and conceded that
the Philippines is no match with China’s “myriad more ships and aircraft.â€
ITLOS could “ascertain which of us has sovereign rights over the waters surrounding Scarborough Shoal,†Del Rosario said, still expressing that “Chinese ships are currently engaging in illegal activities within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).â€
The Foreign Secretary’s full statement, issued on April 17, follows:
â€The whole world knows that China has myriad more ships and aircraft than the Philippines. At day’s end, however, we hope to demonstrate that international law would be the great equalizer.
â€In pursuing a peaceful settlement of the Scarborough Shoal issue, we fully intend to humbly invite our Chinese friends to join us in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=49379.0
