CCTV has interviewed Alberto Encomienda, former secretary-general of the Maritime and Oceans Affairs Center of the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department. He said the Philippine government is responsible for raising tension in the South China Sea.
Encomienda had worked for the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department for 35 years. He had dealt with maritime issues for a long term.
He said although the Philippines carefully cloaked the unilateral arbitration on South China Sea, the claim is in essence an issue of territorial sovereignty. And the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over territorial disputes.
"I think this is an artificially record by the Philippines to insist sovereign rights and not sovereignty. But will it really solve anything? I don't think so," said Encomienda.
Based on the the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN countries - including the Philippines - disputes should be solved through negotiations.
The Benigno Aquino III government claimed they initiated the arbitration after conducting over 50 consultations and negotiations with China.
But Encomienda, who was then in charge of the negotiation, sees the situation differently. He noted China has repeatedly tried to get the Philippine government back to the negotiation table, but Manila never responded.
The former Philippine maritime official also said China should not be demonized in terms of the South China Sea issue, since it was the Philippines which first engaged in reclamation activities in South China Sea.
"As we try to strengthen our control of the islands, we will at first start to build an airfield there. Among the claim countries, not only China, but among the five claim countries, the Philippines is the first to build an airfield," Encomienda said.
Since the 1970s, the Philippines has illegally claimed sovereignty over and illegally occupied several China's islands and reefs. The Philippines engaged in construction work on and arming of the islands and reefs it illegally occupied.
