Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio has urged the Duterte administration to preserve the country’s victory in the arbitration case against China on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. In an interview, Carpio emphasized that non-action by the government could be seen as giving up the country’s rights.
He noted that filing a formal protest would cost nothing to the government and is the only natural step in light of China’s artificial structures in the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Carpio also stressed that any deal with China should not come at the expense of the country’s control over its EEZ. He mentioned that the Philippines’ EEZ is far larger than its total land area and must be protected.
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