West PH Sea: DND slams China over arbitral ruling response

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday slammed the Chinese Embassy in Manila over its response to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) reaffirmation of the 2016 Arbitral Award, saying the embassy’s statement “offers a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with our country.”

The DND issued the statement after the Chinese Embassy on June 23 rejected the DFA’s reaffirmation of the arbitral ruling, describing the award as “political manipulation disguised in legal garb” and “illegal, null and void.”

“The Chinese Embassy statement replying to our [DFA] is a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with our Country,” said Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in a statement

READ: PH asserts WPS arbitral ruling amid ‘criticisms’ in Beijing

“It clearly shows their insincerity and duplicity which are amply personified by their Embassy officials. We condemn the arrogant display of deceitful indignation by them,” the defense chief said.

“Hindi kapanipaniwala ang mga sinasabi kaya idinadaan sa alboroto (their claims are not credible, so they resort to bluster),” he added.

The Philippines and China have been in a maritime dispute as the latter—through its so-called 10-dash line—claims ownership of much of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, or the waters within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

READ: Maritime council backs DFA in asserting 2016 arbitral ruling vs China

The 2016 Arbitral Award, which stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims, but the Asian giant does not recognize the ruling. /dl