Labor group backs arbitral ruling in WPS talks

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The NAGKAISA Labor Coalition has called on the Philippine government to ensure that any discussions with China regarding the West Philippine Sea begin with the country’s landmark victory in the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration.

In a statement issued by NAGKAISA chair and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) president Atty. Sonny Matula, the coalition stressed that the Philippines already secured a historic legal win under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The ruling, issued during the South China Sea Arbitration, declared that China’s claims within the so-called Nine‑Dash Line have no legal basis.

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“The Tribunal found that China’s claims within the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect,” the coalition said.

According to NAGKAISA, the decision affirmed the Philippines’ maritime rights and confirmed that resources within the country’s exclusive economic zone belong to the Filipino people.

The coalition said negotiations with China must not begin from a position of weakness or concession.

“The Philippines does not enter negotiations empty-handed. We enter them armed with the force of international law and a ruling already won,” the group said.

While expressing openness to a diplomatic solution in the West Philippine Sea, NAGKAISA urged the government to remain cautious.

“We are open to diplomacy like a dove, but we must be cunning like a boxer and not walk into a trap smiling,” the statement added, warning that any move to dilute the arbitral ruling would weaken the country’s legal standing.

The coalition also emphasized that the dispute is not only a geopolitical issue but also a matter that directly affects Filipino workers and fisherfolk.

For working Filipinos, it said, the West Philippine Sea is tied to food security, energy security, and the sustainability of industries that support millions of families.

“Defending our rights under UNCLOS means defending the economic interests of our people,” the group said.

NAGKAISA urged the government to uphold the 2016 arbitral ruling as the foundation of Philippine policy in the West Philippine Sea and ensure that any engagement with China respects the country’s rights under international law.

“The Philippines has already won the legal battle,” the coalition said. “That victory must not be bargained away.”