On the eve of a verdict

Legal circles are abuzz with talk of an impending verdict in the dispute between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. The arbitral tribunal that has jurisdiction under the compulsory dispute-settlement provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is said to be ready to promulgate judgment sometime in the […]

OPINION: Ways to make China comply

Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio discusses the Philippines’ options during his lecture before members of the Philippine Press Institute. The Philippines is not exactly helpless if the United Nations Arbitral Court decides in our favor in the case we filed against China and China ignores it. The Hague-based U.N. Artbitral Court is expected to […]

Indonesia president visits islands on warship, makes point to China

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president held a cabinet meeting aboard a warship off the Natuna Islands on Thursday (Jun 23), asserting sovereignty over waters in the southern reaches of the South China Sea after Beijing stated its “over-lapping claim” on nearby waters. President Joko Widodo’s visit to the remote island chain along with his chief security minister, […]

Trial of the Century: Philippines vs. China in the South China Sea

In the coming days, an obscure arbitral tribunal, constituted under the auspices of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is expected to issue a final ruling on the Philippines’ complaint against China’s expanding (military and civilian) footprint across the world’s most important waterway, the South China Sea. As I argue […]

US warns China against ‘provocative actions’ if international tribunal rules against its sovereignty claims in South China Sea

State Department official says any ruling by the court in The Hague must be considered binding The United States has warned China against taking “additional provocative actions” following an impending international court ruling on the South China Sea that is expected to largely reject Beijing’s broad territorial claims. A senior State Department official voiced scepticism […]

SOUTH CHINA SEA | INDONESIA VOWS MORE DECISIVE ACTION AFTER CHINESE SHIP SPAT

Illegal fishing vessel Viking, which was seized by Indonesia’s Navy, is anchored next to Indonesian navy ship KRI Sutanto before its sinking on the waters off Pangandaran, West Java Illegal fishing vessel Viking, which was seized by Indonesia’s Navy, is anchored next to Indonesian navy ship KRI Sutanto before its sinking on the waters off […]

Hong Kong-Based Legal Organization Challenges S China Sea Arbitration

Weeks ahead of an expected decision by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on a legal challenge by the Philippines against China’s claims to the South China Sea, a Hong Kong-based institute has produced a 41-page legal document making the case that the dispute lies outside the court’s jurisdiction. The amicus curiae (friend of the […]