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| Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr |
By Patricia Lourdes Viray
MANILA, Philippines — The official position of the Philippine government on the disputed features in the South China Sea is that it has legal possession but does not have ownership, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said.
In his confirmation hearing before the Committee of Appointments, the country's top diplomat that Manila's protest against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration did not include ownership claims over the disputed territory.
"The official position of the Philippines so far as certain features like Pag-asa (Island) that is occupied by us is that we have possession, legal possession of this territory and it can bloom into ownership, it can bloom into part of our territory when the appropriate arbitral tribunal in international law will be able to make a determination on that basis," Yasay told the panel.
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| Map charting the Arbitration Tribunals Findings (Click Image to Enlarge) |
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, concluding that China violated its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The award, however, does not mention "possession" or "ownership" of the disputed features but acknowledges the Philippines' jurisdiction over them. The tribunal did not recognize the features as islands which are therefore not entitled to an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.
Read the full story at PhilStar