06 April 2016 – Philippine Ambassador to Poland Patricia Ann V. Paez stressed the importance of the rule of law with regard to the claims in the WPS/SCS during her lecture at the forum called “Jagellonian Diplomatic Encounters” held at the Jagellonian University in the City of Krakow last March 30.

Ambassador Paez comprehensively explained to the audience the recent developments in the WPS/SCS, including the island building and other actions in the area which are in violation of the rights of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on The Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In this regard, the Philippines has been consistently advocating a peaceful, durable, and lasting rules-based approach to the dispute.

Ambassador Paez alsoclarified that the Philippines did not request the Arbitration Tribunal to decide on sovereignty issues but asked it to clarify the scope and extent of the maritime entitlements of both the Philippines and China as definedby the UNCLOS.She also noted that the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that it has jurisdiction over the case and that the Tribunal is expected to make its decision this year.

Ambassador Paez emphasized that the Philippines wants to remain constructively engaged with China. Ambassador Paez noted that China’s President Xi Jin Ping attended the APEC Leaders’ Summit which the Philippines hosted last year and that the Philippines is a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is a China-led initiative. END