President Duterte’s much-awaited debut before the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) late Tuesday night (early morning Manila time) was marked with a strong affirmation of the Philippines’s rights in the South China Sea, anchored on a UN convention and a 2016 arbitral ruling. In the unprecedented virtual assembly, he also tackled other global threats including the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism, as well as “flash points” which could lead to a world war. In his 19-minute speech before the UNGA, Duterte raised the 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea, saying the Philippines firmly rejects attempts to undermine it. Now being “part of international law,” it is “beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon,” Duterte said.

Medenilla, S. P. (2020, September 24). Duterte's SCS ruling pitch highlights speech at UNGA. Business Mirror, p. A2.