MANILA, Philippines – NANAWAGAN si Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas na kagyat na gumawa ng legal action laban sa Tsina sa pamamagitan ng paghahain ng dalawang magkahiwalay na arbitration cases na may kaugnayan sa unresolved maritime at territorial disputes sa South China Sea.
Ginawa ito ni Carpio sa isang public forum kamakailan, na inorganisa ng National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea (NYMWPS), sa pagdiriwang ng ika-9 na anibersaryo ng tagumpay ng Pilipinas sa Arbitral Tribunal.
Binigyang-diin ni Carpio na ang Pilipinas, kasama ang iba pang regional partners, ay dapat nang simulan ang international legal proceedings para hamunin ang maritime claims ng Tsina at linawin ang pagmamay-ari ng pinagtatalunang Spratly Islands.
Nagbabala naman si Carpio na ang patuloy na kawalan ng aksyon ng Pilipinas ay magbibigay-pahintulot sa Tsina na mas ipagyabang ang largest naval fleet sa buong mundo, batay sa bilang ng mga barko, upang pagtibayin ang kontrol sa rehiyon sa pamamagitan ng military advantage.
“I’ve been trying to convince the Philippine government to challenge China to submit the territorial dispute to arbitration because at least the UN Charter says that all disputes between or among states must be settled by peaceful means, by negotiation, mediation, and finally by arbitration,” ani Carpio.
“We cannot allow this dispute to remain unresolved because, of course, there will be skirmishes in the sea, and uh, we should settle this dispute uh peacefully and by following the rule of law,” aniya pa.
Sa kabilang dako, ang unang panukala ni Carpio ay nakatuon sa “extended continental shelf (ECS) beyond the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a maritime area also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, and China.”
“In 2009, Vietnam and Malaysia jointly submitted a claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), which China opposed,” ayon sa ulat.
Habang ang pangalawang panukala ay arbitration targets the long-standing territorial dispute over the Spratly Islands, claimed in full or in part by five countries—China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
“While no international treaty currently compels arbitration on territorial claims, Carpio said the Philippines should challenge China to agree to arbitration or face international scrutiny,” ayon sa ulat.
Samantala, hinikayat ni Carpio ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas na kaagad na maghain ng dalawang arbitration cases at makipag-ugnayan sa Vietnam at Malaysia sa ECS dispute. Kris Jose
