Malacañang on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte continues to assert the Philippines’ rights over the West Philippine (South China) Sea although in his own diplomatic way.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella stressed the President has always maintained that “he is not giving up our claims in the EEZ (exclusive economic zone] according to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).”
The Palace official made the assurance in the wake of a Pulse Asia survey which showed that 84 percent of Filipinos think the government should uphold its rights in the disputed region as stipulated in the July 12, 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that ruled in favor of the Philippines.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 6 to 11, 2016, two months after Duterte’s state visit to China.
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