Carpio at DFA: Ask the United States, at Asean to make Scarborough Shoal an official "red line"

Antonio Carpio, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said Thursday that the Philippine government should ask the US and ASEAN to make Scarborough Shoal an "official red line" in the conflict of the South China Sea. line is a condition defined by a certain part. When this condition is violated, the offending party may suffer "serious consequences" ranging from economic sanctions to military actions.

Carpio stated that the United States, long-standing allies of the Philippines, should recognize Scarborough Shoal as part of Philippine territory. "The DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] should also campaign for the United States to make Scarborough Shoal the official Red Line of the Philippine-American Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)," Carpio said.

The 1951 TDM, signed by the Philippines and the United States, states that the two will defend each other against an armed attack.

During the forum organized by the Stratbase Institute, Carpio said that the FDFA should also campaign among Asean, especially the coastal states included in the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, to make Scarborough as Asean red line – that China can not build any structure on Scarborough Shoal.

The forum coincided with the second anniversary of the decision of the International Tribunal in The Hague on July 12, 2016, which favored the Philippines and invalidated China's massive claims in the South China Sea.

President Rodrigo Duterte set aside the favorable decision in exchange for China's economic aid and investments while the Asian giant refused to recognize the decision.

Scarborough Shoal a "Red Line"

Carpio recalled that former US President Barack Obama himself told President Xi Jinping in 2015 that Scarborough Shoal was a "line "in the conflict of the South China Sea

The United States also recognized that the shoal was part of Philippine territory. Carpio says:

The shoal is a little over 100 nautical miles from the Zambales province. It has been under Chinese control since 2012 after a stalemate with the Philippines.

This incident prompted the Philippines to file an arbitration case against China before the International Tribunal in The Hague.

The Philippine government said earlier that Scarborough Shoal is the first among the official red lines in the sea conflict.

The Philippines insisted that China does not can not recover or build any structure on Scarborough Shoal. everything is dark and gloomy with Philippine government policy in the West Philippine Sea. I am encouraged by the fact that Foreign Secretary Peter Cayetano drew a red line on Scarborough Shoal, "said Carpio.

Related story: The red lines of Cayetano PR stunt, says Alejano

that the Chinese should not do anything about the Sierra Madre of BRP, a rusty ship sank on Ayungin Shoal (second Thomas Shoal).

China was warned not to tow the Sierra Madre from BRP as this would be considered an attack on the Philippines. China warned: Do not try to tow BRP Sierra Madre

A third red line is that China should not do any unilateral drilling of natural resources in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines [19659002] Freedom of Navigation and Overflights

Meanwhile, Carpio also asked the Philippines and other coastal states to encourage freedom of navigation. "The more the freedom of navigation and the flying operations conducted by other States will be numerous, the more the implementation of the Price will be strong … With these operations, China can not Later, the China Sea The South has become a Chinese Mare Nostrum, "he said.

However, Carpio said the world's naval powers were applying the award through the exercise of freedom of navigation and overflight operations. 39 after Carpio, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force should also continue to patrol air and sea to protect the country's exclusive economic zone,

as poachers and polluters in the EEZ can be detected, identified and apprehended

"Filipino naval and air patrols in our exclusive economic zone do not concern freedom of navigation. to protect and protect the exclusive right of the Philippines to living and non-living resources in their own exclusive economic zone, "said Mr. Carpio

" I believe that the Filipino people would like such patrols to be conducted regularly. and periodically as mandated by the Constitution. This is obviously required by the national interest of our country, "he said. / Vvp