Supporters, allies, and representatives of fishing communities gathered Sunday at the grave of former president Benigno Aquino III to mark the 10th anniversary of the Philippines’ landmark arbitral victory in the West Philippine Sea.
Aquino, fondly known as P-Noy, was the chief architect of the arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China in 2013. The historic ruling issued on July 12, 2016, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s so-called “nine-dash line” claim and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
The commemoration ceremony began with a Mass officiated by Fr. Joseph Patrick Echiverria, SJ, who was assigned at the Loyola College of Culion in Palawan and lived among fishing communities that directly experienced the effects of China’s encroachment into Philippine waters.
A brief program organized by the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF) and the Liberal Party (LP) of the Philippines was also held.
For future generations
LP president and former lawmaker Erin Tañada urged Congress to recognize July 12 as a national day of reflection to preserve the significance of the arbitral victory for future generations.
Speaking in a mix of Filipino and English, Tañada said: “Our message to senators and representatives is that it is important that we did not consider resorting to force. We asserted our rights and we won it, just like we did in 1986 when we won Edsa. We will continue to remember this and continue to tell our story to our children and the next generations.”
Restituto “Ka Resty” del Rosario, chair of the Bagong Pangarap Fishermen Association and the fishing communities’ representative to the National Anti-Poverty Commission, thanked the former president for defending the country’s maritime rights.
He expressed regret at not having had the chance to personally express gratitude to Aquino for the arbitral victory: “Sayang hindi namin personal na nasabi nung buhay si Pangulong P-Noy. Maraming, maraming salamat kay Pangulong P-Noy. Maraming salamat sa mga Pilipinong tumatayo na ang West Philippine Sea ay sa atin.”
Del Rosario recalled the 2019 Lakad Panawagan, when fishermen from Bataan and Zambales walked 135 kilometers over five days from Olongapo City to the town of Santa Cruz in Zambales to assert their right to fish freely in the West Philippine Sea.
He said he and his fellows are encouraged that more Filipinos are now standing up for the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, including local governments that have begun officially observing July 12 each year as a “Day of Victory.”
NCAF executive director Kiko Aquino Dee, a nephew of Aquino, paid tribute to his “Tito Noy” by recalling how the then president dealt with the challenges in the West Philippine Sea and the country’s ultimate victory with constant grace. He said P-Noy described the arbitral ruling as a victory for the international community and not only for the Philippines.
“It showed that we live under a rules-based order. It showed that we can settle our differences peacefully. It showed that we can talk to each other, and that in resolving disputes, we don’t have to resort to violence,” Dee said.
He said that while the country’s campaign to defend the West Philippine Sea has become “very aggressive and loud” over the past decade—“This might be what is necessary now,” he observed—P-Noy’s example remains relevant today.
He added: “As we recommit ourselves to firmly standing up for our rights…we also ask ourselves: How do we contribute to bringing back a world where reason, courtesy, and honor are strengths, and the tools we used to assert our rights?”
Along with August Twenty-One Movement president Volt Bohol, Dee put a yellow wreath on P-Noy’s tomb as the rest of the assembly sang “Bayan Ko” and waved Philippine and yellow flags.
Grounded in international law
During his time, confronted by a far more powerful China, President Benigno Aquino III chose a rules-based and peaceful approach grounded in international law rather than military confrontation. A decade after the landmark ruling, his leadership is seen as a reminder to Filipinos that even small nations can defend their rights through principle, diplomacy, and adherence to the rule of law.
Here is an excerpt from his statement issued by his private office on July 13, 2016:
“Let me emphasize: All countries that have made a comment on this issue, to our knowledge, have expressed adherence to international law. Indeed: International law has been made clearer with this monumental decision. This of course deals with the Philippines and China, clarifying each state’s rights and obligations; but as our lead counsel said, it also has very strong implications as far as other coastal states are concerned, with regard to Unclos (or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).
“At this point, may I suggest that instead of viewing this decision as a victory of one party over another, the best way to look at this judgment is that it is a victory for all. I say this because the clarity rendered now establishes better conditions that enable countries to engage each other, bearing in mind their duties and rights within a context that espouses equality and amity.
“Might I say: The decision to pursue arbitration was not an easy one to make. Going into arbitration was called a game-changer. We foresaw and experienced the pressures in taking this route; yet until the end, we stood our ground.”
P-Noy passed away on June 24, 2021.—CONTRIBUTED
