Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday ruled out raising the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) before the United Nations (UN) for fear of losing the case the Philippines won at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

This developed in the wake of suggestions by experts on the need to raise the arbitral ruling before the UN General Assembly given China’s aggressive activities in the disputed area.

“What if it reopens our arbitral victory? They’re just dying and other members of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations who are dying to have us reopen that. And then we’ll be all alone, and then we’ll lose what [former President] Noynoy (Aquino) won for us. I have to think very carefully,” Locsin said.

He cited the strong likelihood more countries will side with China if the Philippines raises the arbitral decision at the UN.

“Believe me, the smaller the country, the more insolent character in that sense, similar to us, the more likely they will not vote with us because they need all the help they can get,” according to Locsin.

“China’s very aggressive, not in a bad way, is very aggressive in pushing developmental projects,” he added.

China has constantly pushed for its claim over the disputed area it indicated with the controversial nine-dash line that the tribunal at The Hague rejected back in 2016.

The Philippines has since filed several diplomatic protests against China as its behavior in the disputed area has affected the livelihood of local fishermen.

Locsin also ruled out establishing an attaché of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Washington and in Beijing as this would mean conceding the country’s claim over territorial waters.

“That means the Coast Guard, which basically interdicts the Chinese, now will take it upon itself to be in Beijing and whenever the Chinese want to make a naval movement anywhere in our territory, they can discuss it with the Coast Guard,” he said.

He stressed territorial discussions should only be made with him and with other top officials in the defense establishment.

“The Coast Guard is an instrumentality of the policy we make. They do not make policy,” Locsin said of the role played by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and National Security adviser Hermogenes Esperon on the subject. (Daily Tribune)