The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement at the 75th UN General Assembly on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award stands “as the supreme expression of foreign policy on the West Philippine issue.” The DFA issued the statement in the wake of statements made by the President that dismissed the tribunal’s ruling as a mere “sheet of paper” that could be thrown in the trash bin. The DFA said it will "continue to implement the President's foreign policy statement in accordance with Philippine national interest." Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said while the 2016 award shot down Beijing’s “historical pretensions of claims,” it did not order China to leave the West Philippine Sea nor the features it seized.

Requejo, R. E., & Cruz, M. V. (2021, May 8). 'Rody's remarks at UN meet official policy on WPS row'. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.