The Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, will host a high-level security forum on July 11 to mark the 9th anniversary of the Philippines’ landmark arbitral victory over China in the South China Sea. The conference will underscore the country’s commitment to defending its sovereignty without compromising the rules-based international order.
Titled “9th Year of the Arbitral Victory: Defending the Rules-Based Order through Reinforced Defense Capabilities and Partnerships”, the forum will gather Philippine and international defense leaders at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City.
The event commemorates the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), invalidating China’s sweeping claims. Nine years later, over 260 Chinese vessels reportedly continue to intrude in Philippine waters.
“This is not simply a legal commemoration. This is a reaffirmation of our sovereign rights and our commitment to the rule of law,” said Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit.
Manhit said the forum also honors the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard personnel who risk their lives defending the country’s waters. “They do not stand alone. Our partners stand with us because this is not just our fight—it’s a test of whether international law still matters,” he added.
The conference will also pay tribute to the late Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, a key architect of the arbitral case. “International law is the great equalizer,” Del Rosario once said, “where a country of 100 million is the equal of one ten times its size.”
Discussions will center on maritime cooperation, regional security, and the importance of enforcing the Arbitral Award as a bulwark of peace in the Indo-Pacific.
“Staying silent in the face of China’s aggression is not neutrality, but neglect,” Manhit said. “Now is the time for clarity and courage from our leaders.”
