Despite China’s persistent refusal to recognize or honor it, the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea now forms part of international law, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reaffirmed yesterday. “Now entrenched in international jurisprudence, this historic ruling has been cited by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice in rendering their decisions, further reinforcing the legitimacy and finality of the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the DFA said in a statement.

Punongbayan, M., Clapano, J. R., & Romero, A. (2025, July 13). DFA: 2016 Arbitral Award now entrenched in international jurisprudence. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 3.