Duterte has played down the maritime dispute over the years, saying there is little that the Philippines can do since China has a powerful military. Del Rosario was DFA chief during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, when Manila's ties with Beijing soured over the territorial dispute. In a statement, Del Rosario said they had expected the new administration to push the arbitral win for Filipinos' benefit. "Instead, President Duterte did not waste time in advancing his declared embrace of Xi Jinping when he very quickly shelved the Arbitral Award in exchange for a promised $24 billion in Chinese investments and assistance," he said, "which, until now, has not materialized." Del Rosario said Duterte has fully accepted China's narrative that pushing Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea would lead to war.

Source: Philippine Star April 29, 2021 10:30 UTC