The South China Sea arbitration ruling should be an integral part of a binding Code of Conduct (COC), according to former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, as he enjoined Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to exercise “utmost vigilance” to ensure that China will not undermine the ruling in crafting the code. “Our region cannot promote the rule of law while ignoring the law as it stands,” Del Rosario told The Associated Press on Thursday, as Southeast Asian state leaders started gathering for the 35th ASEAN summit in Thailand, which ends today. “ASEAN member states (except for Cambodia, which is a signatory) are state parties to UNCLOS. As such, they should recognize that the award rendered by an UNCLOS tribunal is a valid and binding judgment under international law,” he added.

Punongbayan, M., & Regalado, E. (2019, November 4). Ex-DFA chief wants SCS ruling in sea code. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 8.