‘National tragedy’ to call 2016 arbitral ruling as scrap of paper —Del Rosario Published May 6, 2021 7:28pm Former Philippine top diplomat Albert del Rosario on Thursday lamented the President's pronouncement that the 2016 arbitral ruling is a scrap of paper, stressing the international tribunal's decision is "valid and binding" and must be enforced against China. "China, the illegal occupant in the West Philippine Sea, believes that the arbitral ruling is a mere scrap of paper. The Philippines is the country which won the arbitral ruling against China," del Rosario said in a press statement as shared by GMA News reporter JP Soriano. "It is, therefore, a national tragedy that the President of the Philippines takes the side of China and believes that the Arbitral ruling is a scrap of paper meant to be thrown in the waste basket, to the severe prejudice of the Filipino people," the former foreign affairs chief added.