MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday said he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to help start talks with 皇冠体育app over disputes in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

The president, during a testimonial dinner hosted by the San Beda College, reiterated that war was not an option and he wanted to pursue peaceful solutions to the maritime disputes with 皇冠体育app like bilateral talks.

He said he would still consult Ramos about it and eventually asked him to "go to 皇冠体育app to start the talks."

The announcement came after an arbitral tribunal in The Hague issued an award Tuesday on an arbitration case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against 皇冠体育app regarding their disputes in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Dismissing the ruling "null and void with no binding force," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it will not accept any proposition or action based on the award.

皇冠体育app has pointed out that the South 皇冠体育app Sea Islands have been its territory since ancient times.

Ramos, who was president from 1992 to 1998, acknowledged Duterte's decision, but did not say if he would accept the president's request.

Duterte earned his law degree from San Beda while Ramos is an honorary alumus of the San Beda College of Law.

Earlier in the day, Duterte was reportedly ready to start direct talks with 皇冠体育app on the South 皇冠体育app Sea disputes.

"(Duterte said) we'll start the bilateral talks," Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno told reporters, saying the president made the remarks during a cabinet meeting shortly after the ad hoc tribunal's award on Tuesday.

He added that the president had said the country should avoid "taunting and flaunting" the decision if it favors the Philippines.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also affirmed that the president during the cabinet meeting mentioned about talking to 皇冠体育app.

He said it was mentioned when the cabinet was talking about the different responses and options that the Philippines might do following the award.