THE Philippines should use its 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to push for a legally binding South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) that is anchored on the 2016 arbitral ruling, instead of allowing the landmark decision to become a subject of negotiation, a political expert said.
Victor Andres Manhit, president of the think tank Stratbase Institute, made the suggestion ahead of the ruling’s 10th anniversary on July 12.
Speaking at a Strabase forum on Friday, Manhit said any future code of conduct must reinforce, not dilute, the Philippines’ legal victory over China’s sweeping maritime claims.
“If today leaves us with one piece of unfinished business, it is this: the award must be reflected in the ongoing negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” he said.
“Our negotiators must have a clear mandate: any Code of Conduct must uphold the arbitral award as the legal baseline, not treat it as a point for negotiation,” he added.
Asean and China have been trying to negotiate a legally binding Code of Conduct for the last two decades, with little progress.
Manhit warned that rushing into an agreement that undermines international law or disregards the arbitral award would erode regional peace and stability while compromising the sovereign rights and maritime entitlements of claimant states.
He echoed the position of the late Stratbase chairman and former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, who initiated the Philippines’ arbitration case before The Hague in 2013.
Del Rosario had maintained in 2017 that the arbitral ruling should form “an integral part” of both the COC framework and the final agreement.
Manhit described the ruling as “not a ceremonial anniversary to be admired from a distance” but “a living mandate” that the Philippines must uphold as a matter of sovereign duty and responsibility to future generations.
He backed the call of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for more local government units to declare July 12 as West Philippine Sea Victory Day.
Manhit was joined at the forum by senior government officials, diplomats and security experts in discussing how the Philippines could better operationalize its legal victory amid China’s continuing activities in the West Philippine Sea.
A coalition of nationalist organizations announced it will stage a lightning rally outside the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Sunday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling.
The demonstration was organized by the Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement together with several civil society organizations.
Among the participating organizations are the Alyansa Bantay Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, Liga Independencia ng Pilipinas, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Kabataang Artist at Manunulat para sa Sining at KultuRA, Alyansa ng Kabataan sa Komunidad, and Samahan ng Magkakapitbahay sa Parola.
