The Armed Forces of the Philippines expressed its full support as it welcomes the new maritime law unit established by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"The AFP warmly welcomes and stands in full support of the DOJ's establishment of a dedicated maritime law unit to serve as a central repository of legal expertise on the 2016 Arbitral Award and international maritime law," said the Office of the AFP Spokesperson for West Philippine Sea under retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad on Thursday.

"As Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe recently mentioned, 'no single institution protects the West Philippine Sea alone.' Defending our national sovereignty and sovereign rights is a whole-of-nation endeavor," he added.

Trinidad noted that "while the men and women of the AFP—together with the PCG, BFAR and other partner agencies—maintain our physical presence and patrol our waters, the DOJ’s new maritime law unit provides the critical legal armor we need to sustain our gains."

"By strengthening our domestic legal expertise and consolidating our legal records, the government ensures that our actions at sea remain firmly anchored in international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," he added.

Early this week, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida announced that a maritime law unit has been created to serve as a “single repository” of legal information and expertise on the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling on the South China Sea and laws of the seas.

“To maintain and sustain the gains from the arbitral award, the DOJ now has a dedicated unit for legal services to be a source of expertise on this matter,” he said in a media interview last Monday. Robina Asido/PHS