Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is the "traitor" and not President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacanang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was reacting on the statement of Del Rosario accusing Duterte a traitor as he allegedly betrayed the Consitution by setting aside the July 12, 2016 arbitral ruling invalidating China's sovereign and historic claim in almost the entire South China Sea.

"That's foolishness coming from a proven traitor. He's the one who ordered the withdrawal of our soldiers in Boro, which resulted in Chinese continuous stay in Boro," he said in a press briefing referring to the April 2012 standoff between the Philippine and Chinese ships in Scarborough Shoal.

Del Rosario was the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs that time.

Through the mediation of the US, the Philippine Navy ship withdrew from Scarborough, believing China did the same but only to find out that the latter's ships returned to the disputed area.

"Mr. Del Rosario, if you want to talk about who that real traitor is, it's you! You're the one who gave out the territory to China. And while you cannot show any territory that President Duterte gave away to other country, you shut up because you're the one responsible," he said.

He also urged lawyers and other groups to study the "legal liability of Albert del Rosario in ceding Scarborough Shoal to China."

Asked if the government will initiate its own investigation and file charges against Del Rosario, Roque said, "I have no time and I don't want to waste my time on him. But let us not let him get away with the fact that he gave away Philippine territory."

It was during the Aquino administration when Del Rosario was the DFA chief that the Philippines filed the arbitration case against China. The Philippines won in the case.

However, up to now, China refused to recognize the ruling even if it is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the basis for the Philippine victory.

While there is no resolution yet on the territorial dispute, Roque said the Duterte government will continue with its relationship with China in the areas of trade and investment. Celerina Monte/DMS