Archive - South China Sea

In Sacred Shores, Dengcoy Miel reflects on the idea of ownership, sovereignty, and territory amidst Filipinos’ seeming apathy to the issue.

Recto Bank is within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, but is also claimed by China.

It seemed like a simple question: "Is Itu Aba a rock or an island?"

Henry Bensurto, Jr. is the man who worked tirelessly for the Philippines' victory over China in the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Protesters made their messages clear as they waved Philippine flags during a gathering to mark the 8th anniversary of the Philippines' arbitral award.

Unlike the claim of China and former president Rodrigo Duterte, the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea is not “just a piece of paper.”

Retired associate justice Antonio Carpio renewed his call for the Philippines to “pile up more arbitral awards” against China to negate its “baseless and expansive” claim of almost the entire South China Sea.

The Philippines outmaneuvered China on the West Philippine Sea dispute at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague by refusing to play the Asian superpower’s game.

The biggest impact of the ruling, Bensurto reminded, is that "we were able to prove China wrong" at a sound and legal tribunal.

American obligation to defend the Philippines in the South China Sea is a nothing-burger. The question for Filipinos is whether they would risk upgrading this obligation under a renegotiated MDT given the certainty of a conflict between U.S. and China for dominance in the region. The question for Americans is whether they would be willing to foot the bill with their lives on tiny rocks thousands of miles across the Pacific.

Germany is urging all parties involved in the South China Sea situation to “refrain from using violence” as it closely monitors the escalating tensions in the area.

Marcos was “horrified” that an alleged agreement between Duterte and China may have “compromised” the territory, the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of the Philippines.