Manila, June 23 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday categorically rejected assertions by the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

In a statement, the DFA emphasized that the ruling was rendered by an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and provides absolute legal clarity on maritime rights and entitlements.

"The award is final and binding and has become an unassailable part of the corpus of international law, providing legal clarity regarding maritime rights and entitlements in the South China Sea. It is not and will never be illegal, null, and void," it said.

The department dismantled China's longstanding ...