At end of PHIBLEX joint drills, SC Justice Carpio balks at suspending joint patrols in WPS

From InterAksyon (Oct 11): At end of PHIBLEX joint drills, SC Justice Carpio balks at suspending joint patrols in WPS

It is vital to communicate to the United States the importance of protecting the Philippines’ economic zone and the international arbitral court’s decision in the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute, said Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio at the end of the joint military exercises with the US.

The Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice was the guest speaker at the just-concluded Philippine-US Marines Amphibious Landing Exercise 2016 (PHIBLEX). He cited the fact that only the US can counter China’s aggressive stance in the disputed waters.

Carpio said he was not in favor of suspending joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea with longtime ally US because by such move, China may take the opportunity to abuse the Philippines' natural resources.

Carpio, however, does not see anything wrong with the idea of the Philippines forming alliances with China and Russia as long as President Rodrigo Duterte fully understands the situation in the region.

During the Philippines' nearly three-year campaign to get a ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Carpio had delivered lectures here and abroad painstakingly explaining the issues at hand in the unprecedented case. Even after Manila won that case against China - with the UN arbitral court dismissing China's nine-dash-line claim in the South China Sea and declaring illegal its blockade of rich fishing grounds - Carpio worked the lecture circuit to continue providing insights on how best to move forward after the legal victory.

http://interaksyon.com/article/133219/at-end-of-phiblex-joint-drills-sc-justice-carpio-balks-at-suspending-joint-patrols-in-wps