President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he brought the maritime issues and multiple claims in the South China Sea during his intervention at the 45th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Laos.

The President made the remarks when asked if he brought up the South China Sea issues during the ASEAN retreat session.

“I didn’t specify the details but it is just the general principle of the adherence to the rule of law and the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea). Just as a general theme,” the President told reporters.

“We will have a chance to get into more detail maybe in the next couple of days,” he added.

The President said the Philippines adheres to the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award in its efforts to address and manage disputes and tensions with China.

The Philippines won its case against China in the 2016 Arbitral award that declared Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis.

China did not recognize the ruling and continued to harass Philippine vessels in staking their claim in the region. | PND