NCAF executive director Kiko Aquino Dee
People from fisherfolk communities joined supporters gathered Sunday at the tomb of former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Philippines’ landmark arbitral victory in the West Philippine Sea.
President Aquino was the chief architect of the arbitration case the Philippines filed against China in 2013, which led to the historic July 12, 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating China’s so-called nine-dash line claim and affirming the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
The commemoration began with a Mass officiated by Fr. Joseph Patrick Echiverria, SJ, who was assigned in the Loyola College of Culion in Palawan. He lived among fishing communities that experienced the effects of China’s encroachment into Philippine waters. A brief tribute program followed.
The tribute was organized by the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF) and the Liberal Party of the Philippines.
LP President and former Congressman Erin Tañada pays tribute to PNoy
Liberal Party president and former congressman Erin Tañada urged Congress to recognize July 12 as a national day of reflection to preserve the significance of the arbitral victory for future generations.
“Ang panawagan natin sa mga Kongresista at Senador, importante na pinag-iisipan natin na hindi tayo gumamit ng dahas. We asserted our rights and we won it, just like we did in 1986 when we won EDSA. We will continue to remember this and continue to tell our story to our children and the next generation,” Tañada said.
Representing the fishing communities, Restituto “Ka Resty” del Rosario, chairman of the Bagong Pangarap Fishermen Association and the fisherfolk representative to the National Anti-Poverty Commission, thanked President Aquino for defending the country’s maritime rights.
“Sayang hindi namin personal na nasabi nung buhay si Pangulong PNoy—maraming, maraming salamat kay Pangulong PNoy. Maraming salamat sa mga Pilipinong tumatayo na ang West Philippine Sea ay sa atin (It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to express our gratitude to President PNoy. Thank you to all the Filipinos who stood for our rights in the West Philippine Sea, that it rightfully belonged to the Filipinos),” Del Rosario said.
Del Rosario recalled the 2019 Lakad Panawagan, when fishermen from Bataan and Zambales walked 135 kilometers over five days —from Olongapo City to the town of Santa Cruz, Zambales—to assert their right to fish freely in the West Philippine Sea.
He said he and his fellow fishermen are encouraged that more Filipinos are now standing up for the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, including local governments that have begun officially observing July 12 each year as a Day of Victory.
NCAF executive director Kiko Aquino Dee paid tribute to his “Tito Noy” by recalling how, always with grace, the late President dealt with the challenges in the West Philippine Sea and the country’s ultimate victory.
For one, following the arbitral ruling, President Aquino described the decision not merely as a victory for the Philippines but for the international community as well, Dee said.
“It showed that we lived under a rules-based order. It showed that we can settle our differences peacefully. It showed that we can talk to each other and in resolving disputes, we don’t have to resort to violence,” Dee said.
He added that while the country’s campaign to defend the West Philippine Sea has become “very aggressive and loud” over the past decade—“this might be what is necessary now”—President Aquino’s example remains relevant today.
‘….how do we contribute to bringing back a world where reason, courtesy, and honor were strengths….’
“As we recommit ourselves to firmly standing up for our rights… we also ask ourselves how do we contribute to bringing back a world where reason, courtesy, and honor were strengths and the tools we used to assert our rights,” Dee said.
In the rainy weather, advocates of the Philippines’ right to the West Philippine Sea gather.
Dee and ATOM president Volt Bohol offered a yellow wreath at President Aquino’s tomb as participants sang Bayan Ko while waving Philippine and yellow flags.
Facing a military imbalance against a far more powerful China, President Aquino chose a rules-based and peaceful approach grounded in international law rather than military confrontation. A decade after the landmark ruling, his leadership continues to remind Filipinos that even smaller nations can defend their rights through principle, diplomacy, and adherence to the rule of law.
Below is an excerpt from President Aquino’s statement following the arbitral victory, released by his private office on July 13, 2016:
“Let me emphasize: All countries that have made a comment on this issue, to our knowledge, have expressed adherence to international law. Indeed: International law has been made clearer with this monumental decision. This, of course, deals with the Philippines and China, clarifying each state’s rights and obligations; but as our lead counsel said, it also has very strong implications as far as other coastal states are concerned, with regard to UNCLOS.
“At this point, may I suggest that instead of viewing this decision as a victory of one party over another, the best way to look at this judgment is that it is a victory for all. I say this because the clarity rendered now establishes better conditions that enable countries to engage each other, bearing in mind their duties and rights within a context that espouses equality and amity.
“Might I say: The decision to pursue arbitration was not an easy one to make. Going into arbitration was called a game-changer. We foresaw and experienced the pressures in taking this route; yet until the end, we stood our ground.”
President Aquino passed away on June 24, 2021.
