Bringing up the 2016 arbitral court ruling on the South China Sea before the United Nations General Assembly would be a “futile exercise,” as the international body has no power to enforce it, Malacañang said yesterday. “For one, it’s futile exercise. Why? Because UN has no enforcement force,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in reaction to former foreign affairs chief Albert del Rosario’s suggestion that the administration take advantage of the 74th regular session of the UN General Assembly this month to drum up global support for the arbitral ruling. “He is citing the case of Nicaragua. Did anything happen there? None. It remained the same,” Panelo said.

Romero, A., Diaz, J., & Lee-Brago, P. (2019, September 20). Bringing up SCS arbitral ruling before UN futile - Palace. The Philippine Star, p. 8.