29 December 2014 – The Philippine Embassy in Buenos Aires presented the Philippine position on the West Philippine Issue in an academic session organized by the UNLP  - Institute of International Relations, as one of the activities during the Congress of IRI, Latin America Federation for International Studies and the Federal Council for International Studies on November 27.

Philippine Ambassador to Argentina Ma. Amelita C. Aquino,  Vietnam Ambassador Nguyen Dinh Thao, Professor Maya Alvisa of the Universidad del Salvador and Mr. Rodolfo Kramer of the MERCOSUR-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce were the guest speakers during the session. Professor Ezequiel Ramoneda of UNLP IRI served as the moderator during the event.

In her presentation, Ambassador Aquino emphasized that the core issue of the dispute is China’s claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over nearly all of the South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line, pointing out that this encroaches on the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone and extended continental shelf.

She further explained that the Philippines had undertaken many efforts to peacefully engage China and settle the disputes through political and diplomatic avenues but with the occupation by China of Scarborough Shoal, the  Philippines had no other recourse but to utilize the legal track under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). She then explained the arbitral proceedings initiated by the Philippines and the Philippines’ Triple Action Plan proposal.

The audience was composed of members of the academe, students and researchers. END