China does not possess the WPS

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 05/20/2021

President Duterte’s mantra is “China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).” The President made this declaration on several occasions: the November 2018 Asean-India Summit in Singapore, his July 2019 and 2020 State of the…

Tiny Sandy Cay reveals the big lie

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 05/13/2021

There is a tiny sandbar called Sandy Cay about two nautical miles from Pag-asa Island, which at about 37 hectares is the largest Philippine-occupied island in the Spratlys. Before 2017, Sandy Cay was a disappearing sandbar. Half…

President Duterte’s policies in the WPS

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 05/06/2021

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque praised President Duterte’s policies in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as “careful, calibrated, and calculated.” In contrast, Roque assailed proposals from former foreign secretary Albert del Rosario and myself as “illegal, impractical, and…

Who is lying — the President or Roque?

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 04/29/2021

The President’s spokesperson Harry Roque issued a statement last April 23, 2021, that President Duterte never entered into a “verbal fishing agreement” with China’s President Xi. Roque declared: “There is no truth to the speculation of a…

Why Chinese fishermen are in the WPS

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 04/22/2021

China claims that part of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) enclosed by the nine-dash line is a traditional fishing ground of Chinese fishermen. That would make about 80 percent of the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in…

Where are the vaccines?

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 04/01/2021

President Duterte railed in September 2020 against Western vaccine manufacturers for requiring vaccine buyers to make advance payments from 30 to 50 percent of the purchase price. The President stated that Philippine law prohibits making advance payments…

Unrequited love

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 03/25/2021

In April 2018, President Duterte declared, “I just simply love Xi Jinping.” President Duterte made this declaration in a press conference in Davao City just before he left for China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia.…

Nuclear weapons and the VFA

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 03/04/2021

The 1987 Constitution expressly prohibits the storage of nuclear weapons in the Philippines, adopting a “policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in (Philippine) territory.” Last week, President Duterte threatened to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with…

Vaccines and economic stimulus

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 02/18/2021

The Philippines’ performance, both in the management of the pandemic and the economy, was the worst among all Southeast Asia countries in 2020. The nation’s recovery now hinges on two factors: the rapid vaccination of 80 percent…

A grave threat to world peace

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 02/04/2021

What has prevented a third world war are two provisions in the 1945 United Nations Charter. The first provision outlaws the threat or use of force to settle disputes between or among states, while the second provision…

China unleashes another deadly virus

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 01/28/2021

China has unleashed another deadly virus into the world—this time a legal virus that can only roil even more the seething dispute in the South China Sea. Last week China approved a new law, to take effect…

Presidential immunity from suit

Antonio T. Carpio - @inquirerdotnet 01/21/2021

The Manila Times reported last Jan. 5, 2021, “Magistrates and legal experts denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC) for pushing an investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines during the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs…

Previous           Next
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.