PH should be wary of China’s words on disputed waters—Carpio

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. (Photo by Center for Strategic & International Studies/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

MANILA, Philippines—Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Sunday said that the Philippine government must be cautious of trusting China over its promise not construct on uninhabited features in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday, February 17 said that this assurance was made by China during its bilateral consultative meeting with the Philippines on February 13.

“There’s also a commitment by China and all other parties not to build on uninhabited features in accordance with the declaration of conduct in the South China Sea,” Cayetano added, referring to the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2002.

Carpio, on the other hand, said the government should not be quick to count on China’s recent promise as it has “repeatedly stated that it can build anything on its national territory.”

He also hit the government for believing in China when no “level-headed observer” will.

“The Duterte administration still believes in China’s good faith, but any level-headed observer certainly will not,” Carpio told Inquirer.net in an email.

“Today, China is promising … Cayetano that China will not build anything on uninhabited features in the South China Sea even as China refuses to comply with the arbitral ruling,” he added.

According to Carpio, China also continues to claim 80 percent of Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone as its national territory, and massively built islands in the Spratlys from 2014 to 2016, despite singing the DOC that prohibits “inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays and other features.”

‘Gains’

Despite China’s activity in the South China Sea, Cayetano on Friday said the Philippines had made some “gains” from it. He said that China has transformed three reefs claimed by the Philippines into facilities that could accommodate military aircraft and vessels.

He also noted that the Chinese has allowed Filipino fishermen to return fishing in Panatag Shoal, and stressed that the situation in the greater South China Sea has become stable than in past years.

Cayetano reiterated that the Philippines strongly objects militarization of South China Sea by any country.

“Not because we are not announcing diplomatic action, does not mean we are not taking it,” Cayetano said.