1. Summarize the points by both countries in the arbitral ruling.

Answer: Our motherland Philippines and our neighbor China both claim
the islands, banks, and reefs located west of the Philippines and
South of China. It reached to a point where our country had summoned
China into United Nations Law of the Seas or UNCLOS during Aquino
Administration. We had filed the protest and had given all the
evidences claiming that it was ours. On the other side, China did
insist their unlawful and illogical Nine Dash Line. However, the
arbitral ruling considering all the provisions of the law of the seas
stated in UNCLOS favored us and we had won the case. But the
People’s Republic of China was unshakable and continue doing their
reclamation in our territory which is part of our exclusive economic
zone.

2. Give at least three reasons why the arbitral ruling was rendered
in favor of the Philippines.
Answer: We had won the case and we have to remain firm with our
rights and prerogatives on our own territories. We have the legal
basis and legal concrete evidence which was witnessed by the entire
world. The reasons why they favor us is that the Nine Dash Line is
vague and has no coordinates. Also, they only submit it in 2009 wherein
the UNCLOS has already drafted its territories of each nation and
it is already working. Next would be our Murillo Map of 1734 which is the
mother of all Maps wherein the Scarborough Shoal can be seen which
was originally named as Panacot. Looking at the logical lens, this only
means that we already owned it 200 years ago where the China
invented their Nine Dash Line in 1940s. Third will be the historical
background. If China insisted that their Nine Dash Line is
historically-based, then so we are. We have the balangays the
earliest form of water transportation 2,000 years ago. China is an
agricultural nation and ours, the Philippines is a maritime-driven
nation. We had already explored the islands unlike China which had
already discovered later on. Lastly, China did only adapt the British
Map wherein the English names of islands were just transliterated
into Chinese terms that is why they had misinterpreted the James
Shoal as an island but it is submerged 22 meters below. The Kalayaan
group of islands are much nearer to us unlike in China which is 950
nautical miles far from the islands and in Hainan China.

3. After the said arbitral ruling, what did any of the parties do to
enforce the said arbitral ruling?
Answer. Despite the efforts and the result of the arbitral ruling
emanating from the international laws that should be followed by the
countries’ signatory to UNCLOS, China does not recognize the validity
of the winning of Philippines. What Philippines is doing is that it
continues its peace talk or bilateral relation with China to solve the
issue. Our policy with China is somewhat graceful and soft. Our
government is cautious to avoid resorting into war. We cannot afford
to do war as our Filipino citizens wanted to. Our country will continue
its communication efforts with China to clarify things and solve the
dispute. Although the Arbitral success we have become useless piece
of paper as China does not honor it. We had no choice but to choose
the non-risky strategies to save hundred million of lives from war.