A Philippine official says that the Philippines will only deal with territorial disputes in the South China Sea on its own terms.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Philippine Presidential Office said that national interest remains the main consideration behind Philippine policy in the South China Sea.
Coloma told reporters that the Philippines will only resolve disputes in the area in one of two ways: through arbitration or discussions with other ASEAN member states.
Coloma’s remarks come a day after President Ma Ying-jeou proposed a “South China Sea Peace Initiative”. The initiative mirrors Ma’s earlier efforts to resolve similar disputes in the East China Sea.
Both peace initiatives call on all parties to shelve their differences and work together to develop natural resources in areas subject to conflicting territorial claims.
Another, unnamed Philippine official responded to the latest peace initiative by saying that the Philippine Constitution does not allow the country to share its natural resources with others.