PRESIDENT Rodriggo Duterte condemned the Ayungin Shoal incident in front of fellow leaders during the ASEAN-China Special Summit held today.
The president denounced the Chinese Coast Guard for using water cannons to drive away the supply boats from the Philippines who were headed to the shoal.
In his speech in front of leaders from ASEAN and also the People’s Republic of China, he emphasized that the Ayungin Shoal incident does not speak well of the good relations between ASEAN nations and their partnership.
He said that what is stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Hague arbitral award is that there should be fair and just solution to territorial disputes.
According to the president, there should be strict adherence to all legal means to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
He also told Chinese President Xi Jinping to remain committed to the conclusion of an effective and significant code of conduct in the South China Sea. He said there is no other way to solve the problem but to observe rule of law.
Duterte added that the issue of the South China Sea is a strategic challenge that cannot be resolved by force. He called on other leaders to exercise restraint, avoid creating tension, and enforce a peaceful resolution to the dispute based on international law.