South China Sea: Duterte’s UN speech defending award wins praise – even from critics

In Duterte’s first speech at the UN General Assembly, he rejected attempts by states to undermine an arbitral ruling that favours the Philippines’ claims

While critics have welcomed this move, one expert says the speech will not change the status quo and could be a way to divert attention from domestic woes

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

Published: 4:45pm, 23 Sep 2020Updated: 11:09am, 24 Sep 2020

Mounting domestic pressure led President Rodrigo Duterte to make his most strident defence yet of a 2016 arbitration ruling in favour of the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea, one analyst has said, as critics of the leader welcomed his maiden speech before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

“The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech aired in New York on Tuesday.

“We firmly reject attempts to undermine it,” the leader said, without naming China. “We welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for – the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition.”

Detractors of Duterte praised the unexpected mention of the award and urged him to go further in securing international support, while one expert noted the speech came at a time the Philippines was facing critical domestic issues, such as the coronavirus pandemic and a perception Duterte had been leaning too far towards China.

Commending Duterte’s “strong stand”, retired supreme court justice Antonio Carpio said he hoped more action would follow “in the protection of our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippines Sea, in the negotiations for the Code of Conduct, and in gathering the support of the international community for the enforcement of the arbitral award”.

The president followed his script, and looked and sounded authentic – even presidential

Lauro Baja, retired permanent UN representative

Albert del Rosario, a former foreign secretary and a frequent China critic, said Duterte should gather the support of more countries “so that the arbitral award will be raised more emphatically for the UN General Assembly 2021”.