The military is rallying more local governments to declare July 12 as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day” to commemorate a landmark arbitral tribunal ruling that upheld the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea—waters within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—and rejected China’s expansive claims.
The call made by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday followed the most recent “victory day” declarations by Cebu City and the municipality of Labrador, Pangasinan, to mark the 10th year of the arbitral award and to recognize the service of Filipino maritime front-liners.
Retired Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, a reservist officer and AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a statement that the military was “in solidarity” with the people of Cebu and Labrador in their “patriotic initiatives” and urged other local government units (LGUs) to make the same move.
He said Cebu and Labrador institutionalized the commemoration of the “legal and moral triumph” of the July 12, 2016, arbitral award.
“As protectors of our sovereignty, the AFP strongly encourages other LGUs across our archipelago to follow this nationalistic example,” Trinidad said. “Let us unite as one nation in safeguarding our maritime heritage. By standing firmly together, we send a clear, unyielding message: our seas are a part of our identity, our livelihood, and our future.”
Make it nationwide
Last month, the Cebu City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring July 12 as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day” and urged Congress to institutionalize the annual observance nationwide.
On June 30, the coastal municipality of Labrador, which faces the West Philippine Sea, adopted a similar measure through an executive order signed by Mayor Ernesto Perez, which also directed schools to hold activities that highlight the significance of the award.
Palawan was the first province to institutionalize the annual observance in a provincial ordinance that took effect in July 2024.
Since 2016, lawmakers, including former Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano and former Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, have called for the victory day declaration.
On July 11, 2019, then Sen. Leila de Lima, who is now a member of the House, filed Senate Bill No. 376, which sought to declare July 12 “West Philippine Sea Victory Day,” a special working holiday.
2012 standoff
On June 28, 2021, Sen. Risa Hontiveros proposed a resolution declaring July 12 as “National West Philippine Sea Victory Day” to promote public awareness of the 2016 arbitral ruling and to honor the efforts of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III in securing the landmark victory.
The arbitration stemmed from a two-month standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in 2012 after Filipino authorities attempted to apprehend Chinese fishermen suspected of illegally harvesting protected marine species at the shoal, which is within the country’s EEZ.
Chinese maritime surveillance ships intervened. Beijing later maintained a sustained presence at the shoal after Philippine government vessels withdrew.
The Philippines filed an arbitration case against China on Jan. 22, 2013, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), challenging the legality of Beijing’s expansive maritime claims to almost the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
China refused to participate in the proceedings, saying it did not accept the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
The July 12, 2016, arbitral ruling largely favored the Philippines and invalidated China’s claims under Beijing’s so-called nine-dash line, saying it had no legal basis under Unclos. The tribunal also found that several Chinese activities in waters claimed by the Philippines violated Manila’s sovereign rights.
China continues to reject the ruling.
On Dec. 17, 2016, then President Rodrigo Duterte said his administration would not insist that China recognize the arbitral ruling, saying he would set it aside as his government pursued closer ties with Beijing.
Counting ships
In contrast, President Marcos has repeatedly affirmed that the 2016 award was final and binding. He has invoked it to assert the country’s maritime rights amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Panatag, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, is again attracting attention following a report on Thursday by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels patrolled its waters nearly as many times in the first six months this year as they did in all of last year.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, CCG vessels accumulated 933 ship-days around Panatag, just shy of the 1,099 ship-days recorded for the whole of 2025, the report said.
Amti, a project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said this level of Chinese coast guard activity was the highest it had observed anywhere in the South China Sea since it began tracking automatic identification system data in 2019.
The increase in coast guard activity has coincided with China’s deployment of floating structures around the shoal.
The report said China’s actions suggest it was expanding its presence at Panatag through sustained coast guard deployments and civilian activities while avoiding more provocative moves such as building permanent structures or land reclamation.
“As Beijing pushes the boundaries of just how much control it can assert over the shoal, Manila and Washington would do well to keep a close eye on Scarborough,” Amti said. INQ
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