The Philippine government has reaffirmed that its ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ remains ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ, ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐, ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ.
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐จ ๐รฑ๐จ emphasized that the ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒโ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌโincluding ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉโare clearly established ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ณ๐จ๐ง๐ (๐๐๐) ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฅ.
โInternational law serves as the great equalizer of all nations,โ Secretary Aรฑo said, adding that it ensures smaller states like the Philippines have the same voice and protection as more powerful countries.
He added that the ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ โ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ which aims to ensure that all coastal states, regardless of size, respect their rights and fulfill their responsibilities under international law.
