Philippines’ Right versus China’s Might: Facts and Views on Sea Issues

 

CHINA’S DE-FACTO occupation of almost the entire South China Sea has emerged as the most serious external security concern for the Philippines since World War II. The military installations built by China on reefs in the Spratlys have been accomplished without the benefit of a treaty nor scrutiny by any other branch of government. Any foreign intrusion into the country’s exclusive economic zone threatens the supply of food, energy and the overall safety of Filipinos.

Despite the 2016 arbitration award which favored the Philippines and invalidated China’s claims to the highly-valued waterway, the Asian giant has refused to acknowledge or abide by the ruling. In fact, military installations have been placed on the artificial islands China made and fisherfolk have been deprived by Chinese forces of their catch in the Scarborough Shoal.

Ask an ordinary Filipino about China’s actions and he or she will say, “The West Philippine Sea is ours.” Indeed, the discussion is not and should not be limited to government officials alone. Different sectors would appreciate the issue more if they are informed about the basis of the Philippine’s territorial claim and what it stands to lose to China.

In covering this issue, Filipino journalists should be well versed in the basics of the situation, the geographical references, the legal issues and the fundamentals of the decision of the International Arbitral Tribunal. Such familiarization with the subject will help them deepen the coverage, moving away from just citing and recording what was said by government officials.

Below are useful references on the issues involving the West Philippine Sea, the South China Sea and the arbitration case between the Philippines and China:

Case Digest and Summary of Findings on The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China by the Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, University of the Philippines

Geopolitics of Scarborough Shoal by Francois-Xavier Bonnet, Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia

How the Hague court ruled on the Philippines’ 15 arguments by Philstar.com

INFOGRAPHIC- The Philippines and China: The West Philippine Sea dispute by GMA News Online

Island Tracker Archive by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

Philippines v. China Arbitration Case: Official Responses to the Award by Olga Daksueva and Jonathan Spangler (editors), South China Sea Think Tank

Philippines v. China: Arbitration Outcomes by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

South China Sea Lawfare: Post Arbitration Policy Options and Future Prospects by Fu-Kuo Liu, Keyuan Zou, Shicun Wu, and Jonathan Spangler (editors), South China Sea Think Tank

The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China) from the Permanent Court of Arbitration case repository

The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea by Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio

The West Philippine Sea: The Territorial and Maritime Jurisdiction Disputes from a Filipino Perspective by the Asian Center and the Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, University of the Philippines

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea from the United Nations Website