President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he does not see how Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ proposed Senate resolution on the 2016 arbitral award will translate into action before the United Nations.

"Generally speaking, the foreign policy is not set by the legislation. Generally speaking, foreign policy is up to the executive," Marcos told reporters during his state visit to Malaysia.

"So, I mean, of course the senator is free to file the resolution she wants, but I do not know how that will translate into any action that will reach the United Nations General Assembly," he added.

Marcos made the comment following Hontiveros’ Senate Resolution No. 659 on the Senate floor, calling on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to denounce China's aggression in front of the UN General Assembly.

"The United Nations entertains governments, not parts of governments," he said.

Senators debated Hontiveros' resolution on Wednesday in response to China's "reckless, unrepentant, and continuous incursion" in the area. The resolution sought to use all diplomatic channels available to assert the country's legitimate claims over the West Philippine Sea.

According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the arbitral decision from July 2016 supported the Philippines' exclusive economic zone while invalidating China's extensive claims in the resource-rich area.