Palace: PH sovereign economic rights ‘non-negotiable’

MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday said that while the Philippines will engage China bilaterally “to find mutually acceptable arrangements” following a favorable ruling of the arbitral court, it maintained that the country’s “sovereign economic rights” are “non-negotiable.”
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said engagement with China must comply “with the Constitution, International Law and the rule of law.”
“The Philippines continues along a diplomatic path to fully realize the EEZ rights granted by the Arbitration Court – engaging in bilateral talks to find mutually acceptable arrangements to RP, PROC; and consulting with our regional allies. We consider our sovereign economic rights, granted by the Law of Nations to be non-negotiable,” Abella said.
“Engagement with China through towards the peaceful resolution of the issue must be compliant with the Constitution, International Law and the rule of law,” he added.
Abella made the statement in reaction to tweets made by US Senator Murphy on President Rodrigo Duterte’s meeting with a visiting US delegation.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/20/16/palace-ph-sovereign-economic-rights-non-negotiable