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<\/p>\nSenators on Sunday, July 12 expressed confidence that the July 12, 2016 ruling of an arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which invalidated China\u2019s so-called \u201cnine-dash line\u201d and affirmed the Philippines\u2019 sovereign rights to explore, explore and manage resources within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) still stands strong.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Members of Akbayan Partylist celebrate \u201cWest Philippine Sea Victory Day\u201d and commemorate the anniversary of the Philippines\u2019 2016 Arbitral Tribunal victory by waving flags during a program in Quezon City on July 11, 2025. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands issued on July 12, 2016 an arbitral ruling which declared that China\u2019s nine-dash line claims, including those within the Philippines\u2019 exclusive economic zone (EEZ), have no legal basis under international law. (Photo: Santi San Juan \/ MANILA BULLETIN)<\/p>\n
\u201cTen (10) years ago today, the Philippines showed the world what it means to stand up to a giant, and win. The 2016 Hague Ruling still stands, affirming that China\u2019s nine-dash line has absolutely no basis in international law,\u201d Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a statement. <\/p>\n
\u201cMahalaga na ipagdiwang ang araw na ito dahil hindi tumitigil ang Tsina sa pang-aangkin ng hindi kanya (It\u2019s important to celebrate this day because China does not stop claiming what does not belong to it),\u201d Hontiveros stressed.<\/p>\n
She cited the recent attempt of Chinese academics to claim that Batanes belongs to China. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a grave insult to every Ivatan, to every Filipino, and further proof of how deeply the Chinese government\u2019s propaganda has taken root in its own people,\u201d she stressed.<\/p>\n
She said China\u2019s disinformation campaigns are exactly why the Arbitral Award matters, not only as a landmark ruling etched in the annals of history, \u201cbut as a shield against those who systematically spread lies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us never forget this victory. Huwag nating kalimutan na lumaban tayo sa isang dambuhala nang mapayapa at may dignidad. Ipagmalaki natin sa buong mundo na ang Pilipinas ay isang bansa na tumindig para sa tama at sa totoo (Let us not forget that we fought a giant peacefully and with dignity. Let us show the world with pride that the Philippines is a nation that stood up for what is right and true),\u201d Hontiveros said.<\/p>\n
Sen. Francis \u201cKiko\u201d Pangilinan echoed Hontiveros\u2019 point, saying that \u201chope is not blind to the truth. And freedom is not simply given.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn this 10th anniversary of our victory at the arbitral tribunal, we salute\u2026every resident of Pag-asa and the Kalayaan Island Group\u2014our fellow Filipinos who quietly defend the Republic through the simple yet extraordinary decision to live on the island,\u201d Pangilinan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur challenge to all Filipinos: Let us demonstrate our love for the country through action. Visit. Support. Invest. Organize. Vote. Teach. Defend,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For Pangilinan, the Philippines\u2019 victory at The Hague is only just a start. <\/p>\n
\u201cLet us celebrate this legal victory: by helping create livelihoods, sharing the story of <\/p>\n
\u2018Pag-asa\u2019 and \u2018Kalayaan\u2019, and ensuring that not a single Filipino fisherman ever feels alone at sea again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur victory in The Hague is just the beginning. True victory will come when our fellow Filipinos can live, fish, and dream freely and without fear in the West Philippine Sea; when hope and freedom are no longer merely the names of islands, but a reality lived out by every Filipino,\u201d the lawmaker stressed. <\/p>\n
But amid the ongoing challenges in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Paolo \u201cBam\u201d Aquino IV said the country\u2019s position remains clear: \u201cthe West Philippine Sea is ours, and we will continue to fight for our sovereignty, our rights, and our national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond the issue of territory, this is a matter concerning the livelihoods of our fisherfolk, the security of our seas, and the future of our nation,\u201d Aquino said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn every issue regarding the West Philippine Sea, the Filipino must come first. Truth, the rule of law, and the national interest of the Philippines will prevail,\u201d he reiterated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Senators on Sunday, July 12 expressed confidence that the July 12, 2016 ruling of an arbitral tribunal at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[20097,20099,20098,15117,952,2164,20100,20096,20102,20101,42],"class_list":["post-30422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-hague","tag-10th","tag-20099","tag-anniversary","tag-day","tag-hague","tag-on","tag-ruling","tag-senators","tag-stands","tag-still","tag-the-hague"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}