The Philippines must be firm in adhering to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the ruling handed down by an arbitral tribunal, which invalidated China’s claim to the South China Sea, former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said over the weekend. Del Rosario said the Philippines' chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a unique opportunity to show the country's resolve and focus on the chair's ability to propose the agenda. “Our proposed agenda should have included an open discussion on the outcome of the arbitral tribunal, which effectively addresses a lawful approach to ASEAN’s most crucial security concern in the region,” Del Rosario told The STAR.

Brago, P. L. (2017, February 27). Phl should adhere to UNCLOS - Del Rosario. Philippine Star, p. 12.