As tensions in portions of the South China Sea, referred to by Manila as West Philippine Sea, once again fall into focus after Beijing’s declaration of an air zone, Philippine Ambassador Erlinda Basilio to China said the Philippines’ move to seek arbitration on its territorial dispute with China was not an “unfriendly act.”

In an email to GMA News Online, Basilio said the Philippine government decided to bring the sea dispute issue to international arbitration because “a rules-based regime in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea would contribute to the respect for the legitimate rights of countries surrounding the sea.”

Read more: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/341501/pinoyabroad/worldfeatures/phl-envoy-to-china-seeking-arbitration-on-sea-row-not-an-unfriendly-act