Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has issued a scathing critique of the Philippine government’s handling of its 2016 arbitration victory against China. In an impassioned plea, he stressed that the country “dropped the ball” in failing to capitalize on this significant achievement.
Carpio emphasized the importance of the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) ruling, which effectively invalidated China’s claims to nearly 90% of the South China Sea. However, despite this landmark win, Carpio expressed disappointment that the government has not done enough to leverage this momentum and assert the country’s rights in the disputed waters.
The Supreme Court justice warned that the failure to act decisively on the arbitration victory has emboldened Chinese aggression in the region, undermining regional stability and security. He urged the government to take a more proactive stance in upholding the PCA’s ruling and protecting the country’s sovereignty over the contested territories.