Para±aque city: The Philippine government will continue countering claims and actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with 'legal clarity' and sustained diplomacy, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Wednesday. Speaking at the two-day Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Manila Strategy Forum 2026 in Para±aque City, the country's top diplomat emphasized that the Philippines' stance in the WPS is based on international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lazaro stated, "These legal instruments are not bargaining chips; they are settled international law." She further asserted, "Our principled source remains clear and consistent: right is might. We seek neither confrontation nor escalation, but we will not succumb to coercion." Lazaro highlighted that Manila is open to constructive dialogue with China, provided it aligns with mutual benefit and sovereign equality, but remains resolute in defending its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., during a defense forum in Korea this week, reiterated criticism of China for its continued rejection of the 2016 Arbitral Award. This criticism came after he received a note containing China's position on the South China Sea while responding to a question at the event. Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported that the forum organizer indicated the note was from a military attach© at the Chinese Embassy in Korea.