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JAKARTA — Dumalo sa isang lecture sa Jakarta, Indonesia si Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio at nagbigay ng mahahalagang impormasyon tungkol sa agawan ng teritoryo sa West Philippine Sea.

Sa harap ng tensyon sa West Philippine Sea at sa umano'y panggigipit ng China sa mga sasakyang pandagat ng Pilipinas, ipinaliwanag ni Carpio sa isang pagtitipon ng mga diplomat at estudyante na kinikilala ng Pilipinas na bahagi lang ng isang malaking karagatan ang inaangkin ng bansa, base na rin sa umiiral na pandaigdigang batas.

“We only refer to the area covered by the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” sabi ni Carpio.

“The West Philippine Sea is just a part of the bigger sea. We believe we have the right to name our own sea, our own territorial sea, as well as our EEZ because we exercise sovereignty and sovereign rights over these waters,” dagdag niya.

Sabi naman ni Dr. Tirta Nugraha Mursitama ng BINUS University, “As our neighboring country, the Philippines is strategically positioned in the West Pacific making it a crucial player in the Asia Pacific region alongside Indonesia.”

Para kay Carpio kailangang maiakyat sa tamang korte ang usapin ng pinag-aagawang teritoryo.

“We have actually the strongest claim. We have not articulated it correctly lang. We cannot sue China on the territorial dispute because that’s not covered by UNCLOS. We have to sue China before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the territorial dispute but unless China agrees voluntarily to submitting to arbitration, ICJ cannot acquire jurisdiction,” ani Carpio.

“We really appreciate the fact that the Philippines has been consistently trying to face this issue, this problems into international mechanism and put forward the peaceful problem-solving,” ani BINUS University lecturer Curie Maharani Savitri.

Mahalaga para kay Carpio na maibahagi ang tamang impormasyon at kaalaman tungkol sa usapin sa South China Sea.

“I will go to Spain this November to deliver two lectures also, in Barcelona. It’s the 7th anniversary of the Arbitral Award but I’m not talking only of the Arbitral Award. Because Arbitral Award was maritime dispute. I’m also moving now to the territorial dispute to give more complete picture of the dispute in the South China Sea,” sabi ni Carpio.

Mungkahi ni Carpio, imbitahan ang China na magsumite ng terrirotial dispute tungkol sa Scarborough Shoal para ito ay maresolba ng ICJ sa mapayapang paraan alinsunod sa UN Charter.

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