Justice Carpio on Duterte admin: Difficult to wake up a sleeping person who's pretending to be asleep

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio again expressed dismay over the Duterte administration's lack of conviction in imposing the country's victory in the arbitral court in connection with its territorial dispute with China.

Speaking before the Rotary Club of Makati-West on Thursday, Carpio said he has forwarded relevant documents and his lectures on the West Philippine Sea to the government, which he said may have fallen on deaf ears.

"I have listed down all of those courses of action, non-confrontational, legal, in my e-book, and I have given them copies. But it's up to them, I really cannot impose on them," Carpio said.

"As they say, it's difficult to wake up a sleeping person who's pretending to be asleep," he added.

Carpio also criticized the 2017 ASEAN Chairman's Statement that made no mention of China's reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Carpio was among the Philippine officials who went to The Netherlands before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which has ruled in favor of the country and invalidated China's sweeping "nine-dash" line claim over the South China Sea.

Duterte had earlier said that he is setting aside the arbitral ruling in favor of having warmer economic ties to China. He vowed to eventually bring up the ruling at a proper time. —KBK, GMA News