MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines can assert its rights in the West Philippine Sea even without the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday (May 6), agreeing with President Rodrigo Duterte that the ruling was a worthless “piece of paper” that can be tossed into the trash bin.
“What Presidente Duterte said last night regarding the PCA ruling is correct,” Lorenzana said in a statement, referring to Duterte’s remarks in his public address on Wednesday night (May 5) saying that “nothing” happened when he tried to assert the arbitral award, amid mounting criticisms of his handling of Chinese intrusion in …
Keep on reading: Lorenzana: Duterte right, no need for arbitral ruling to defend PH sovereignty