Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said China should show sincerity before having any bilateral discussion with the Philippines about the maritime issue in the West Philippine Sea.

"My personal opinion, if there are going to be bilateral discussions it must be based on fundamental principles and it must be based on sincerity, that it shall not be used merely as a weapon in order to constraint the Philippines," Teodoro told reporters on Monday.

"There should be bilateral discussions but at a time when we prove, when we are sure, this is my personal belief that formal bilateral discussions should only be held when it is proven that they are sincere," he added.

However, Teodoro added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "himself has said that their (China) illegal activities continue unabated so (as) to enter into a bilateral negotiations... in that context will be just to be playing into their playbook."

"It will be an attempt to constraint the Philippines from enforcing its claims which it rightfully has under international law so contrary to the narrative of China their narrative is to constraint the Philippines," he said.

"The issue of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea) and archipelagic doctrine for the Philippines is vital to the integrity of our country as an archipelagic country just like the five, a the four other archipelagic countries in the world, it's not a question of growth, it's not question of supply lines or freedom of commerce of navigation, it's a question of survivability, sustainability for future generations," he added.

In a press conference over the weekend, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that during the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) the Chinese parliamentarians have agreed to adopt a resolution which seeks to maintain peace and the stability in the maritime region consistent with UNCLOS.

"We are very happy that the delegation from China graciously accepted our proposed amendment. So, we included and initially they didn't want to have any mention of the UNCLOS and freedom of navigation, but they eventually agreed," said Zubiri. Presidential News Desk