MANILA, Philippines — Different stakeholders are calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to issue an executive order (EO) declaring every July 12 the “National West Philippine Sea Victory Day.”
The request is meant to commemorate the anniversary of the landmark ruling that upheld the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights in the contested part of the South China Sea.
In a statement on Sunday remembering the 10th anniversary of the ruling, local think-tank Stratbase Institute said that more than celebrating the country’s historic victory, the government must mark it with “concrete and sustained action.”
“Institutionalizing this commemoration is an act of profound remembrance,” Stratbase President and Chief Executive Officer Victor “Dindo” Manhit said.
“More than that, it is a declaration that the Filipino people will honor this victory, defend what it affirms, and keep alive the courage of those who continue to protect our maritime rights,” he added.
The Atin Ito Coalition, which regularly organizes civilian-led supply and solidarity missions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), earlier made the same call to Marcos.
“Declaring it (July 12) as National West Philippine Sea Victory Day will help preserve this victory in our national memory, strengthen public awareness and education, and ensure that future generations are equipped to reject disinformation and defend what is rightfully ours,” Atin Ito co-convenor Rafaela David said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, in a rare move, called for more local governments to issue ordinances declaring July 12 as WPS Victory Day.
The move seeks to recognize the landmark arbitral tribunal ruling that upheld the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and rejected China’s expansive claims.
READ: NMC: 2016 Hague ruling belongs to all Filipinos, not political parties
The call comes after Cebu City and the municipality of Labrador in west Pangasinan province also made “victory day” declarations.
The provincial board of Palawan, whose municipality of Kalayaan is home to fishermen who regularly face harassment from China’s boats in the WPS, approved its victory day ordinance back in 2024.
Marcos has yet to accede to the pleas.
An EO issued by President Marcos, however, may be amended or repealed by another EO of his successor.
Bills were filed as early as 2019 seeking to institutionalize July 12 as a special holiday to commemorate the 2016 decision.
However, none of the bills were approved and had reached the president for enactment.
Marcos expressed hope that the next leader of the country will be consistent in defending its territorial waters, most especially the West Philippine Sea.
“If you’re asking me if I’m worried that the policy of the Philippines will change after I leave office, of course, I am because it’s almost an existential issue for us,” he told reporters in Canada last month.
READ: WPS: 14 countries reaffirm ruling vs Beijing’s South China Sea claims
On July 12, 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled to invalidate Beijing’s claims to almost the entire South China Sea.
China, however, did not participate in the arbitration and refused to recognize the ruling.
Then-President Rodrigo Duterte said he chose not to enforce the arbitral decision to avoid armed conflict with China.
His view was met with strong domestic resistance from legal and defense experts.
In May 2021, Duterte controversially dismissed the 2016 arbitral win of the Philippines as a mere “piece of paper” that he would “throw in the wastebasket.”
Marcos, however, overturned his predecessor’s policy, declaring that the Philippines “will not lose one inch of its territory.”
He said the Philippines would uphold sovereignty according to national and international law, and would work with neighboring and like-minded states to secure safety in the South China Sea. /apl
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