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MANILA - The Philippines has raised the arbitral tribunal ruling on the South China Sea twice in its continuing bilateral talks with China on peacefully resolving territorial disputes, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday.

This, despite a perception that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration has abandoned the ruling that clarified the legal rights of the Philippines over the disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea.

"Just because we're not using arbitration award, that doesn't mean we have given up any of our rights under UNCLOS," Cayetano told lawmakers during a briefing of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.

"We have a bilateral consultative mechanism. [We have brought up the arbitral award] twice already. The only difference is hindi tayo nakikipagsigawan sa China every day (we are not engaged in a shouting match with China)," he added.

The Philippines, under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, filed the arbitration case based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of Manila when Duterte was already President.

But since Duterte assumed office, the Philippines and China have had warmer ties with continuing talks through a bilateral consultation mechanism, where potential joint exploration in the disputed waterway is also being discussed.

Cayetano said the current administration may have changed strategies in dealing with Beijing but the goal remains the same. He said Manila is not giving up sovereignty over West Philippine Sea.

"We cannot simply copy their (Aquino administration) strategy. We have to analyze whether it's working or not, or whether it will work or not during the Duterte administration. We changed our approach and strategy but still the same goals," he said.