MANILA, Philippines —The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday expressed full support over the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) creation of a maritime law unit to handle all legal affairs relating to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
"The AFP warmly welcomes and stands in full support of the DOJ's establishment of a dedicated maritime law unit to serve as a central repository of legal expertise on the 2016 Arbitral Award and international maritime law,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the WPS said in a statement.
Trinidad lifted Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe's recent statement that “no single institution protects the West Philippine Sea alone.”
“Defending our national sovereignty and sovereign rights is a whole-of-nation endeavor. While the men and women of the AFP—together with the PCG, BFAR and other partner agencies—maintain our physical presence and patrol our waters, the DOJ’s new maritime law unit provides the critical legal armor we need to sustain our gains,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad believes that by strengthening our domestic legal expertise and consolidating our legal records, the government ensures that our actions at sea remain firmly anchored in international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
