MANILA, Philippines — On the fifth anniversary of the Philippines' historic arbitral win over China, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro City) on Monday disclosed he filed a resolution urging Congress to declare July 12 of every year as National West Philippine Sea Victory Day to commemorate the victory. Rodriguez, who also serves as House Deputy Speaker, said he filed House Resolution No. “Because of the rich natural resources in the West Philippine Sea, China has made untenable claims of indisputable sovereignty over the entire South China Sea based on its so-called ‘nine-dash line’ that encroaches on 80 percent of the Philippines' EEZ in the WPS,” he said. Cabochan pointed out that China has been more aggressive since 2016 knowing that Duterte "would not even buck." “Despite the clear victory of the Philippines, China has refused to acknowledge the ruling and has continued to harass Filipino fishermen and to illegally construct structures on the different islands in the WPS,” the House leader said.

Source: Philippine Star July 12, 2021 05:15 UTC