Manila: The Philippines will not abandon the historic 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated China's nine-dash-line and affirmed the country's sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced Monday. "Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this Award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the Republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement," the President declared during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives, where the joint session of Congress and Senate was held.
According to Philippines News Agency, as the country observed the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award last July 12, the Chief Executive also called the ruling a "definitive benchmark for the interpretation and application of the UNCLOS." "This is not a claim that we advance alone, nor one that we will abandon," he emphasized. Marcos also honored the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Filipino fisherfolk for their continued efforts in patrolling and plying the West Philippine Sea amidst the risks. "To them, we owe collective gratitude and appreciation for they give life to the letter and spirit of the Arbitral Award," he reiterated.
Responding to calls that demeaned the country's people, Marcos stressed that "Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and (a) great race." "Our unity and collective consciousness are challenged now greater than ever before. A common threat lies before us, directed against our dignity and self-respect as a people," he said. The Chief Executive was referring to a recent slur propagated by Chinese state media that portrayed Filipinos as 'monkeys', issued days before the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award. "We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield," he asserted.
The President also called on all Filipinos to unite as the country continues to face threats to its security. "Iisa lang ang ating lahi. Tayong lahat ay Pilipino. Pilipino sa diwa, Pilipino sa dugo (we are of one race. We are all Filipinos. Filipinos in spirit. Filipinos in blood)," he noted. "Sa mga pang-aalipusta, hindi tayo matitinag. Sa manlulupig, hindi tayo pasisiil. (We will not be shaken by the insults. To the oppressors, we will not be oppressed)," the President concluded.
