The Duterte administration never shelved the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea (SCS), Malacañang said yesterday, after the Philippines’ former top diplomat urged the government to “unshelve” the landmark decision that favored the country. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo over the weekend claimed that the arbitral ruling was not shelved but could not be enforced. “In the first place, this administration never shelved the arbitral ruling. It only remains unenforceable because no foreign force seems persuaded to help us enforce it,” Panelo said in a statement.

Romero, A., Lee-Brago, P., & Punongbayan, M. (2019, April 15). Palace: Hague ruling not shelved but unenforceable. The Philippine Star, p. 4.