Palace hopes next President will continuePres. Aquino's policy on South China Sea

Malacanang said it hopes that the next president will continue the policies initiated by President Aquino with regards to the South China Sea to peacefully resolve the territorial dispute.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that although the country is in transition as it holds election this year, the administration's policy towards China will become the guiding principle in addressing the issue.

The country's foreign policy of arbitration ensures that the community of nations rally behind the Philippines as the country supports moves not to exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea with the help of its ASEAN neighbors.

"The entire community of nations are behind us in this, in our advocacy that we should not—we should keep the South China Sea as peaceful as it should be, and therefore, I don’t see anyone with the exception of China disagreeing with our position," Lacierda said.

"And, therefore, even in spite of the fact that we are in a transition where we’ll have a new leader by the start of July, I think our foreign policy—I think the successor would continue the policies that we’ve started."

President Aquino's foreign policy is inclusive, according to Lacierda, as it acknowledges the need for cooperation between all the neighboring countries surrounding the South China Sea.

He noted that none of these countries disagree with the policy that has been laid down by President Aquino.

The administration candidate former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Lacierda said the Liberal Party presidential bet has already made his position clear on the South China Sea issue. (PCOO News Release)