Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 12) — Former presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada joined then president Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet in a meeting about filing a case against China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute, an envoy revealed on Wednesday.
“Everybody was tense in the morning. Before we made a formal filing, in the morning, there was a meeting in Malacañang. It was almost a National Security Council meeting, with all the previous presidents present and the meeting was about deciding whether to file a case against China,” Ambassador to Turkey Henry Bensurto Jr. told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Bensurto was the lead counsel of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ legal team when Manila notified Beijing of its intent to challenge China’ s nine-dash line claim over the resource-rich South China Sea, which includes the WPS, on Jan. 22, 2013.
The Philippines wanted the international arbitral tribunal in The Hague, The Netherlands to rule on its territorial claims in the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea. Manila also wanted the court to determine if Beijing violated Philippine territorial rights.
\”Everything was kept secret because we knew if there was leakage it was very possible for China to preempt the filing,” Bensurto said. “Therefore, the decision to file immediately after it was adopted in the morning, we were already ready with the notice of complaint.\”
\”I think it was a meeting where we explained exactly what the situation in the South China Sea was and the possible options, and why we should go into this direction. I didn’t see anyone opposing the filing of the arbitration,\” Bensurto said, adding that Ramos and Estrada were supportive of the plan.
The delegation that filed the case before the tribunal was composed of international and local teams.
\”We allowed everybody to put in their two cents worth of opinion, legal and political,\” said Bensurto. \”Because from our perspective, this is not just a legal aspect, this is not just a legal issue, we have to look at it from a holistic perspective, taking into account as well those that have implications economically and politically.\”
Looking back, Bensurdo said he was confident that the international tribunal’s decision will be in favor of the Philippines.
\”What was the level of confidence? In all sincerity and honesty, the moment that we figured out how to do this, there was no doubt in my mind as to the rightness of what we are about to embark,\” he said.
On July 12, 2016, the international arbitral tribunal released its ruling recognizing the Philippines’ sovereign rights in areas within its exclusive economic zone and invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
