CPP slams China, US over arbitration ruling

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Wednesday denounced Chinese and US governments for stepping up the rhetoric at the heels of the ruling released by the Permanent Court of Arbitration concerning the marine dispute over the marine features and resources of the South China Sea.

"The stepped up rhetoric of China and show of complete disregard over the ruling of the international tribunal does not help ease the tension nor pave the way for a peaceful settlement of the disputes," said the CPP, reacting to statements by China which dismissed the ruling as a "mere scrap of paper."

Both the Philippines and China are signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). China, however, did not participate and refused to recognize the proceedings of the arbitration tribunal which deliberated on the complaints filed by the Philippines in 2013.

The Tribunal released its rulings last July 12 which among others found the "9-dash" claims of China as having no historical nor legal leg to stand on.

"China must cast away its belligerence which unnecessarily aggravates the Filipino people," the CPP advised. "The least China could do is to show magnanimity of a superpower by putting a stop to its sea patrols in the Scarborough Shoals (Bajo de Masinloc) where Filipino and Chinese fishermen have long shared in the resources of the sea."

Among many rulings, the arbitral tribunal found that Filipino fishermen have traditional fishing rights over the Scarborough Shoals as much as the Chinese fishermen have.

It found that China breached its obligations under the UNCLOS by operating its law enforcement vehicles in a dangerous manner causing serious risk of collision with Philippine vessels.

"China must stop antagonizing the Filipino people," said the CPP. "It must seek the alliance of and support of the Filipino people in order to build amity on the basis of economic cooperation and mutual help, as well as putting a stop to threats to peace and stability in the region by the incessant build-up and display of military strength."

"From China's point-of-view, it make more strategic sense for them to seek the friendship of the Filipino people in the hope of building a more formidable front against US militarism and hegemonism."

"US strategic military build-up under the Asia Pivot is an attempt to contain China's growth as an economic and military power and aims to establish control over the South China Sea trading route."

"China's show of belligerence tend to isolate itself as an international castaway which the US wish to take advantage in order to justify its intervention in the name of enforcement of international conventions," said the CPP.

The CPP denounces proposals put forward before the US senate by war mongerers to further extend its military force in the South China Sea supposedly to enforce the ruling of the arbitration tribunal.

"Such proposals for US military action is out-and-out interference and a slap on the face of the Philippines which has earlier declared its intention to pursue peaceful bilateral negotiations to settle the disputes with China," said the CPP.

The CPP reiterated its call on the Duterte regime to take the ruling of the arbitral tribunal and use it to push for the demilitarization of the South China Sea. Having won the cases, the Philippines must assert its sovereignty and rights and demand both the US and Chinese military to withdraw its forces and vessels in the South China Sea.