It will be futile for the Philippines to resort to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to solve its dispute with China concerning the South China Sea. China has a legal basis to continue its stance of solving issues through bilateral dialogue and negotiations, said an article in the 21st Century Business Herald (excerpts below).

China declared clearly in 2006 that disputes regarding sovereign waters, exclusive economic zones and the demarcation of the continental shelf, as well as other sovereignty appeals based on history, are not under the rules of the Convention on the Law of the Sea and, thus, China can reject the tribunal's rules.

The Philippines is causing mischief and claims to have given up any hope of solving disputes through negotiations with the excuse that it has exhausted all political and diplomatic manners for a peaceful solution of the issue.

In fact, the Philippines had not responded to suggestions by China for dialogue.

The Philippines will have to lie in the bed it made.