Manila, July 11 -- The Philippine government on Friday marked the ninth anniversary of its arbitral win in its territorial dispute with China, with Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. calling the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling "an irreducible truth."

"The Philippines, a nation committed to peace and principled engagement, views this Award not just as a cornerstone of our foreign and security policy, but as an irreducible truth," Teodoro said in a statement.

Teodoro was referring to the 501-page ruling of the Hague-based PCA released on July 12, 2016 favoring the Philippines in its case against China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

China refuses to acknowledge the ruling and has cont...