The Philippines has never offered to drop its Sabah claim in exchange for Malaysia’s support for Manila’s arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea issue, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. “In the context of our friendly bilateral relations, our two countries have been for years exchanging ways on how to address the issue of the extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in explaining the DFA’s sending of a note verbale to Malaysia last week. China has been reclaiming lands in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, apparently in a bid to alter features in the disputed waters in anticipation of Manila’s getting a favorable ruling on its case before the international arbitral tribunal based in The Hague.

Lee-Brago, P., & Frialde, M. (2015, March 31). DFA denies dropping Phl claim to Sabah. The Philippine Star, p. 2.