Carpio: Tell Duterte China not in possession of West Philippine Sea

Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio on Friday urged Filipinos to inform President Rodrigo Duterte that China does not own the West Philippine Sea.

“Shout out loud so that President Duterte will wake up from his sleep under his kolambo and admit to the nation the truth: China is not in possession of the West Philippine Sea,” Carpio said in Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras.”

The Palace has yet to issue a response to Carpio's remarks.

Meanwhile, maritime expert Professor Jay Batongbacal said that government support for Filipino fishermen was “a long time in coming.”

“Kasi nga ‘yung mga mangingisda natin, nawawalan ng mga fishing ground, naitsapwera sila,” he said.

(Because our fishermen are losing their fishing grounds. They’re being brushed aside.)

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources earlier urged the fishermen to swarm the West Philippine Sea and benefit from the resources there.

A group of marine science experts however expressed wariness over the proposal, saying the government should first ensure fishermen’s safety if they were to do so. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News