Carpio: “War is never an option”

MARIVELES, Bataan – In order to shed some light to the students of Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), other marine schools, and other people concerned, and because we are very close to the sea and this concerns us, a lecture about understanding the West Philippine Sea through the ancient maps was conducted today, June 16, 2017, at MAAP, Mariveles.

It was indeed a pleasure to have Hon. Antonio T. Carpio (Senior Associate Justice, Supreme Court) as the guest of honor who helped the audience understand better the issues on the West Philippine Sea. Some important points he shared were these: the Nine-dashed Line Map submitted by China to United Nations, China’s 2013 Map with Ten Dashes as China’s “National Boundaries”, the ruling on status of Geologic Features in Spratlys, the ruling on status of Scarborough Shoal, the ruling on harm to the Marine Environment, the freedom of navigation vs. right of innocent passage, and China’s Three Warfares in South China Sea.

He finished his lecture with these words: “Nobody wants war. War is never an option to this issue. You have to use your brains here.”