Retired Justice Antonio T. Carpio urges the Philippine government to file a new arbitration case before the International Court of Justice over the West Philippine Sea dispute, citing centuries-old maps and strong legal grounds supporting the country’s claim to the Kalayaan Island Group.
Retired Justice Antonio T. Carpio urges the Philippine government to file a new arbitration case before the International Court of Justice over the West Philippine Sea dispute, citing centuries-old maps and strong legal grounds supporting the country’s claim to the Kalayaan Island Group.
Justice Carpio explains why President Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address broke no new ground on the West Philippine Sea issue, repeating old positions on the Arbitral Award and omitting support for key maritime claims that could strengthen the Philippines’ legal posture.
Justice Carpio explains the UNCLOS legal framework for what constitutes an island versus a rock or low‑tide elevation, and why this distinction fundamentally affects maritime entitlements and territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Justice Carpio recounts how Sandy Cay became a permanent island and was effectively seized by China in 2017, challenging official denials and highlighting the implications for Philippine territorial sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
Justice Carpio debunks additional historical and legal arguments China has used to support its South China Sea claims—showing that declarations like Cairo and Potsdam, and the San Francisco Peace Treaty, do not award the Spratlys or Paracels to China, and that analogies to the Monroe Doctrine are specious.
Justice Carpio refutes China’s claim of a peaceful history by detailing historical invasions of neighboring states and modern seizures of maritime features, and explains how China’s nine‑dash line aims to control nearly the entire South China Sea—at the expense of international law and ASEAN rights.
Justice Carpio explains why naming features in the South China Sea does not confer sovereignty or maritime rights, outlines how sovereign states can lawfully name features, and notes the historical precedence of Philippine names like those on the 1734 Velarde‑Bagay‑Suarez map.
Justice Carpio explains why Subi Reef—though a low‑tide feature—is within the Philippines’ territorial sea because it lies within 12 nautical miles of Pag‑asa Island under the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
Justice Antonio T. Carpio’s 26 November 2019 remarks on the 50th anniversary of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties underscore its pivotal role in ensuring uniform interpretation of international treaties, including its decisive application in the South China Sea Arbitration that reaffirmed lawful maritime entitlements under United Nations Convention on the Law of…
Justice Antonio Carpio calls for regional cooperation to protect Spratly Islands, emphasizing international law principles
“Protecting the West Philippine Sea: A Historic Task for Filipino Lawyers” — a 09 June 2019 address by Justice Antonio T. Carpio calling on the Philippine legal profession to uphold national sovereignty, maritime rights under UNCLOS, and the rule of law amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Justice Carpio weighs in on Beijing’s presence in the South China Sea and Philippine sovereignty
Justice Antonio T. Carpio delivers a detailed address on the Philippines’ constitutional duty to protect its marine wealth in the West Philippine Sea, explaining UNCLOS, the invalidity of China’s 9-dashed line claim, and why joint development under China’s terms would violate Philippine sovereignty.