Marcos on 2016 Arbitral Award 10th Anniversary: South China Sea Must Never Be an Arena of Conflict

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday firmly declared that the South China Sea "must never be an arena of conflict," using the 10th anniversary of the historic 2016 Arbitral Award to champion a rules-based international order.

Speaking before members of the diplomatic corps, Marcos emphasized that the landmark legal victory—which decisively invalidated Beijing's expansive "nine-dash line" maritime claim—is not a tool of aggression, but a framework for lasting regional peace.

A Decade of the Legal Shield

The President’s address commemorated the 10th anniversary of the landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Issued on July 12, 2016, the unanimous decision invalidated China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim, which historically blanketed nearly 90 percent of the strategic waterway.

The tribunal ruled that Beijing’s claims had no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and affirmed Manila's sovereign rights over its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), locally referred to as the West Philippine Sea.

"When we defend the rule of law, we are not merely defending lines on a map. We are defending the lives, the livelihoods, and the future of our peoples," Marcos said. "The legacy of the 2016 Arbitral Award is still unfolding,... The responsibility to build upon this foundation now belongs to all of us—to governments, to diplomats, and to everyday citizens who believe that peace is best secured through the rule of law."

Defending Lives and Livelihoods

While the speech heavily focused on international law, the President grounded the legal victory in its real-world impact on everyday Filipinos.

He noted that defending the country's sovereign rights is directly tied to protecting the lives and economic survival of local fishing communities, who frequently face harassment from foreign coast guard vessels.

Marcos reiterated that the Philippines will not yield an inch of its territory but maintained that Manila remains dedicated to peaceful diplomacy. He urged all claimant states to transform the highly contested waters into a "sea of peace, stability, and cooperation" rather than a flashpoint for military confrontation.

Growing International Support

The 10-year milestone comes amid a decade of shifting enforcement strategies.

While the previous administration occasionally sidelined the ruling to pursue closer economic ties with Beijing, the current administration has aggressively internationalized the award.

Manila has built a robust network of security alliances, drawing explicit backing from partners including the United States, Japan, Australia, and various European nations, who routinely call on Beijing to respect the legally binding 2016 decision.