Manila, April 14 -- The Philippines firmly called for respect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea during the latest round of the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations in the South China Sea held in Manila.

In a news release on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines took the opportunity to reaffirm its stance on upholding international law while reiterating its commitment to resolving disputes in a peaceful manner.

"The Philippines voiced its concerns on the situation in the West Philippine Sea, especially with regard to recent incidents that posed risks to Philippine vessels and personnel, and actions by other countries ...