Carpio says West Philippine Sea issue must be brought to UN General Assembly: ‘We will win there’

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Monday it is time for the Philippine government to submit a resolution to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to have China comply with the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling which rejected its expansive claims in the South China Sea.

Carpio made the remark during a 1Sambayan virtual forum when asked if it is now advisable for the Philippine government to conduct a campaign to get the support of the majority of the UN member states, and later on bring the issue of the long-disputed West Philippine Sea to the UN General Assembly.

“Yes, I'm in favor of bringing the issue to the UN. We must sponsor a resolution, submit it to the General Assembly that China must comply with the arbitral award of July 12, 2016. That will be put to a vote. I think we will win there,” the former SC justice said.

According to him, “majority” of the UN member states would side with the Philippines, including countries from the European Union (EU), Group of Seven (G7), as well as India, South Korea, and Japan.

He explained that these countries would be preserving their respective exclusive economic zones by supporting the Philippines.

“Remember, the majority of the members of the UN General Assembly are coastal states. They are afraid that their big neighbors might seize their exclusive economic zones. They don't want their big neighbors to follow China. They don’t want China to establish a precedent just to seize the exclusive economic zone of their smaller neighbors,” Carpio said.

“They will be supporting us because by supporting us, they are preserving their own exclusive economic zone,” he added.

The Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. It ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

China, however, rejected the Philippines' call to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the decision "illegal and invalid.”

Carpio said the issue must already be brought up to the entire world so that China would “feel the pressure that it’s isolated.”

“The important thing is to get the opinion of the world because the opinion of the world is reflected in the vote of the UN General Assembly. That’s the formal body which reflects the opinion of all the nations of the world. We have to win there and I think we will win there,” he said.

“We need world opinion on our side because China has to feel the pressure that it is isolated because if China thinks that nobody cares about what’s happening in the South China Sea, then China will use force. So, it’s time,” he continued.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier said the Philippines will not give up an inch of its territory, including the West Philippine Sea, amid the reported aggression of China in the territory.—AOL, GMA Integrated News