Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Monday said the Philippines has a "fighting chance" to enforce the Permanent Court of Arbitration's (PCA) 2016 ruling in the face of China's disregard of the decision, dismissing the Asian power's sweeping claims in
Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Monday said the Philippines has a "fighting chance" to enforce the Permanent Court of Arbitration's (PCA) 2016 ruling in the face of China's disregard of the decision, dismissing the Asian power's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. As going to war is not an option, Carpio discussed the remedies that the Philippines can resort to to preserve its resources as China continues to assert its invalidated claims to the disputed waters by building artificial islands and military facilities. In an interview on Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie, the magistrate said the Philippines and countries with claims to the South China Sea can "fortify" the PCA's ruling through "state practice" by adopting sea boundary agreements. He said this would "isolate" China in snubbing the court's ruling. Manila's first such treaty was with Jakarta in 2014, which resolved the two countries' overlapping claims in the Philippines' southern waters. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims in the South China Sea. Carpio, however, said the Philippines is currently not advancing the non-aggressive cause. "… Our government is not pushing for it. That’s why I’ve been trying to convince them, pero ayaw nila ngayong gumalaw pa," he said.
