Philippine Bar Association offers hosting Marcoleta vs Carpio debate on WPS issue

The Philippine Bar Association on Friday offered to host a public debate between Senator Rodante Marcoleta and retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.

The association offered the following:

• A neutral and secure venue suitable for trusted media coverage and public access

• Professional moderators with expertise on the subject matter as well as constitutional and public law

• Clear debate protocols ensuring fairness, equal time, and decorum

• Open access for accredited media and livestreaming arrangements to ensure transparency

“We recognize that the matters concerning the West Philippine Sea carry significant implications. A structured debate—grounded in facts, law, and civility—would meaningfully contribute to national discourse,” it said.

"The Association stands ready to coordinate with their respective offices to finalize details at their convenience," it added. 

Marcoleta earlier in the week challenged Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela to a “friendly debate” as a response to Tarriela’s invitation for the lawmaker to join a maritime domain awareness flight to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

Marcoleta, who earlier criticized Tarriela’s remarks against China, said the debate should also include Carpio and University of the Philippines Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea professor Jay Batongbacal.

"Bago ‘yun, pakisabi niyo kay Commodore Tarriela kasama si Justice [Antonio] Carpio. Sino ba ‘yung professor sa UP? Para sa isang friendly debate bago pa ‘yung pagpunta roon para sa ganoon maayos natin para sa kapakanan ng ating bansa," Marcoleta said in an ambush interview.

(Before that, please tell Commodore Tarriela, along with Justice Carpio and the UP professor, that we have a friendly debate before going there so we can address this for the sake of our country.)

Marcoleta had suggested that the Philippines should let go of the KIG as it is not within the country's 200-km EEZ—a statement which earned flak from experts, other lawmakers, and local leaders of Kalayaan town. 

The senator later accused his critics of “deliberately abbreviating the context” of his statements.

On Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary and spokesperson on maritime issues Rogelio Villanueva said Philippine sovereignty over the KIG and the territorial sea of its high-tide features has been settled and not dependent on EEZ placement.

Meanwhile, Tarriela on Saturday called on Filipinos to defend the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

"Kailangan natin tindigan ‘to kahit anong estado meron ka sa buhay dahil ang laban natin sa West Philippine Sea ay para sa kabataang Pilipino ito,” the PCG official said at a news forum in Quezon City.

(Our fight in the West Philippine Sea is for the Filipino youth, so we must stand up for this no matter where you are in life.) —with Ted Cordero/VBL, GMA Integrated News