๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ firmly emphasized that the rule of law remains one of the Philippinesโ strongest weapons. He stated that the Philippines may not match Chinaโs military strength, the country stands on the side of international law, which is supported by much of the international community.
During the Manila Discussions Series, Justice Carpio said that the Philippines ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ซ protesting against China over the reported floating structures found in Bajo de Masinloc. According to him, the Philippines must continue to assert its rights and ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ in the face of Chinaโs illegal activities within Philippine territory.
#WestPhilippineSea
#WPSTransparency
#TransparencyInitiatives
#2016Arbitration
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ - ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ that China has โ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒโ over ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐, arguing that geography, international law, and historical practice support the Philippinesโ position.
He noted that the ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ 120 ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌโ 200-๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ-๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐, adding that calling it by another name does not alter its location.
He also cited the 2016 ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, which found that ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐โ๐ฌ ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐-๐๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ and that Chinese government vessels unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from accessing the shoal.
#WestPhilippineSea
#BajoDeMasinloc
#WPSTransparency
#PanatagShoal
18,000+-STRONG
The Big Dome erupts to โGi-neb-raโ chants as Justin Brownlee gives Ginebra to an 89-87 lead with 1:15 to go in Game 5 of the #PBAFinals. | via @bryanulanday
INDEPENDENCE DAY PROTEST
LOOK: Members of various patriotic organizations stage a lightning rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Friday, June 12.ย
Coinciding with the 128th Philippine Independence Day, the demonstration was held to condemn China's ongoing aggression and harassment, as well as the construction of illegal structures within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), particularly in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). [1/2] | via Niรฑo Jesus Orbeta, Philippine Daily Inquirer
New Chinese platform at Scarborough Shoal, which China calls a "research platform."
Philippines, this structure sits just 120 nautical miles from your coast.
The possibility that China building another outpost this close to your country is higher than ever.
China said its military and coast guard conducted patrols near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on Sundayโa claim the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) immediately disputed, saying it found no evidence of organized military exercises there.
Read more: https://t.co/9wEYwI99r9
TIME TO STEP DOWN?
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should consider stepping down for the good of the chamber, as his combative leadership style appears to be fueling a gridlock that threatens to render the Senate useless, former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday.
While not framed as a demand, Pimentel said Cayetano should resign given the fact that the chamber could no longer accomplish anything under his leadership.
Read: https://t.co/kPPPe8khKN
At the Asian Security Conference in Singapore, China singled out Japan, criticizing it as a "new type of militarism," to which Defense Minister Koizumi refuted the claim. Koizumi said, "A country possessing a large number of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers calls Japan, which possesses neither, a 'new type of militarism'... Don't you find that strange?"
TEODORO WELCOMES RENEWED DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH VIETNAM
WATCH: Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro has welcomed the renewal of the Philippinesโ defense cooperation agreement with Vietnam.
Teodoro said the two countries have demonstrated that meaningful cooperation can thrive despite their overlapping claims in the South China Sea. | @TristanNodalo
๐ต๐ญ๐จ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ต Philippine Defense Minister delivered strong criticism of China at the Shangri La Dialogue, saying Japan is a model citizen of the world while calling China a hegemon.
He also accused Beijing of selectively raising historical issues involving Japan to divert attention from its own conduct.
The remarks stand out as one of the most direct public rebukes of China at Asiaโs leading security forum, amid rising tensions across the Indo Pacific region.
Ayon sa AFP, ang nakita nila malapit sa Bajo de Masinloc ay nakakalat na mga Chinese vessel na walang "monitored organized movement, tactical maneuvers, or joint formations."
Buong ulat: https://t.co/sgDeE7nEhz
UPDATE: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announces that the Philippines and Vietnam elevate their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
โToday we elevate our ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership which will be defined by wider pathways for cooperation, stronger political and defence cooperation, and closer linkages between the Filipino and Vietnamese people," Marcos said during their bilateral meeting. | ๐ธ: MPC pool via @luisacabatoINQ
China says these patrols are meant to "safeguard peace and stability."
But many Filipinos are asking a different question:
How can repeated patrols, vessel swarms, harassment of fishermen, dangerous maneuvers, and coercive actions inside the Philippine EEZ be described as promoting peace and stability?
The more these actions occur, the more one message seems to emerge:
โ The goal may not be to defend a position. The goal may be to make Filipinos accept a new reality.
โ A reality where foreign vessels become a permanent presence. โ A reality where Filipino fishermen think twice before entering waters that support their families. A reality where repeated pressure becomes so common that people stop questioning it.
That is why transparency matters. Because normalization succeeds only when people stop paying attention.
Every patrol. Every incident. Every act of coercion should be examined, documented, and remembered. If these actions are truly lawful and justified, then they should be able to withstand public scrutiny.
So here's the question:
If the activities are legitimate, why is there such a strong effort to convince everyone that they are normal?
๐ต๐ญ The West Philippine Sea is not a distant issue. It affects livelihoods, security, and the future of generations of Filipinos.
The more we understand what is happening, the harder it becomes for anyone to rewrite reality.
๐ Do you believe these activities contribute to peace and stabilityโor are they trying to make the unacceptable seem normal?
#BRPSierraMadre #WestPhilippineSea #WPS #AtinIto #TransparencyMatters #ProtectOurWaters
Chinese fleets have poached giant clams to supply a lucrative black-market carving industry, dragging reinforced propellers across coral ecosystems.
They have wiped out marine habitats & devastated local fish populations on massive scale. @MalayaIrredenta@mrbcyber@WarrenVsCCP
As the country prepares to mark in July the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 arbitral ruling on its maritime claim, senior military officials and security experts have warned of escalating โpolitical and informational warโ marked by cyberattacks, disinformation and foreign influence operations as China continues its illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive (ICAD) behavior in the West Philippine Sea. https://t.co/S0gZBj5HCy | via @onenewsph
Anyone can see which vessel deliberately altered course and rammed the Filipino ship.
There was more than enough room for Chinese vessel to navigate safely, so why intentionally collide with a Filipino vessel unless provocation was the goal?
https://t.co/kS1obuZpMZ
Five posts in a single day from the Chinese Embassy? That alone tells the world who is truly rattled by facts, transparency, and international law.
A state genuinely confident in its legal position does not spend 24 hours flooding social media with repetitive propaganda disguised as legal arguments just to answer one Philippine Coast Guard officer.
THE LAW AND THE FACTS are clear: the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and binding under Article 296 of UNCLOS and Article 11 of Annex VII of UNCLOS.
1. On Chinaโs 2006 Article 298 Declaration. The Embassy keeps invoking Chinaโs 2006 declaration under Article 298 of UNCLOS as if this magically exempted China from all arbitration. It did not.
The Philippines deliberately structured its case to avoid questions of territorial sovereignty and maritime boundary delimitation. The Tribunal carefully examined Chinaโs Article 298 declaration and ruled in its October 2015 Award on Jurisdiction that the Philippine submissions concerned the interpretation and application of UNCLOS โ matters fully subject to compulsory dispute settlement under Part XV of the Convention.
UNCLOS is not subject to the CCPโs propaganda system. In fact, the Tribunal even declined jurisdiction over certain matters involving military activities precisely to respect Article 298 and Chinaโs 2006 declaration.
So the claim that the Tribunal โignoredโ Chinaโs declaration is simply false. The Tribunal studied it extensively โ and still ruled that it had jurisdiction.
2. On the โNine-Dash Lineโ
China cannot rewrite UNCLOS by drawing arbitrary dashes on a map.
The Tribunal ruled that Chinaโs so-called โhistoric rightsโ claim within the nine-dash line is incompatible with UNCLOS and therefore without legal effect. UNCLOS comprehensively allocates maritime entitlements through territorial seas, Exclusive Economic Zones, and continental shelves. There is no legal basis in UNCLOS for a state to claim almost an entire semi-enclosed sea merely because it wishes to do so.
Changing the terminology from โnine-dash lineโ to โadjacent watersโ does not change the legal reality.
3. On Bajo de Masinloc and Philippine Fishermen
The Tribunal affirmed that Filipino fishermen possess traditional fishing rights at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), and that China unlawfully interfered with those rights.
What deeply concerns many observers is how Beijing now portrays Filipino fishermen operating near their own coasts as โprovocateurs,โ while Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels operate thousands of nautical miles from mainland China inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone under Article 57 of UNCLOS.
That inversion of reality is precisely why the international community increasingly distrusts Beijingโs narrative.
4. On Transparency
The Philippines releases footage because we have nothing to hide.
If China believes the videos are misleading, then Beijing is free to release complete and unedited footage from its own vessels or even embed independent journalists from credible media entities. Yet time and again, China prefers vague accusations over full transparency.
Facts do not fear sunlight. The uncomfortable truth for Beijing is this: the legal debate ended in 2016. What remains is Chinaโs refusal to comply with a binding ruling issued under a treaty that China itself shaped and ratified.
A country cannot selectively obey UNCLOS only when convenient. International law is not a buffet.
And the irony is difficult to miss: Beijing lectures others about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity while simultaneously threatening Taiwan daily, harassing Southeast Asian fishermen in their own EEZs, and deploying coercive maritime tactics across the South China Sea.
The world can see the contradiction clearly. No amount of repetition, propaganda, or coordinated social media posts can overturn the plain text of UNCLOS or erase the 2016 Arbitral Award.