“THIS IS A MATTER of formulating and imbibing our common narrative—communicating this to the rest of the world,” said former Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, during The Repvblic’s (TR) “Navigating Tensions: A Round Table Discussion on the West Philippine Sea,” held last November 15 at the Jonathan Sy Auditorium.  

This discussion stems from the collective drive of the students to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and information regarding the sovereign rights that Filipinos possess over the territories that foreign powers have claimed for a very long time, enabling them to “learn how to fight for and assert these rights through the proper avenues,” as promoted by TR through their Facebook page.  

In consonance to the ambition of the students, Justice Carpio’s discourse was thus centered on the national need for maritime rights recognition to be peacefully enforced across the world—showing how the Philippine narrative is grounded in factual rights, both historically and legally.  

Justice Carpio, together with Commodore Jay Tristan Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson on West Philippine Sea (WPS), discussed the expansion of China and their fabricated historical revisionism, all anchored in their intention to “seize territories that are both historically and legally beyond their right and capacity.”  

In addition to the discussion, Justice Carpio asserted that, both legally and historically, the disputed territories “belong to the Philippines, and Filipinos should stand up for their rights,“ while further reiterating that the Filipino people must be made aware of the rights they possess as this is the only way to empower their rightful claims and combat the “massive misinformation and propaganda spread by China.”  

“We must understand the issues, have a common narrative, and communicate this to the rest of the world,” he emphasized.  

After the talk, Mr. Leonardo Cuaresma, Chairperson of the Federated Association of Fisherfolk in Masinloc, resonated with the sentiment, disclosing that “maraming kabataan natin ang walang kaalaman sa kasaysayan ng ating karagatan.” As such, Mr. Cuaresma thus emphasized the power and significnance of the common narrative founded upon the knowledge possessed by every citizen, specifically the Filipino youth.  

In addition, both Mr. Cuaresma and Justice Carpio also underlined the roles of educational institutions in utilizing the academic landscape as “avenues for information dissemination,” which will then foster a “deeper understanding of what maritime rights are.”  

“They should formulate this common narrative and make it part of the curriculum because we have to start from grade school to college so that it becomes part of our DNA,” Justice Carpio stressed. 

On the legislative angle, Justice Carpio expressed his view on the recently signed maritime laws defining and solidifying the Philippine maritime zones in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), stressing these laws “cement the arbitral award and binding it within Philippine law for ages to come.” 

He further asserted that through the inclusion of these maritime rights in our laws, the sovereign rights of our country will not be abandoned or ridiculed by any entity as they are now engraved in our laws. 

“No president can later on say the arbitral award is just a piece of paper,” Justice Carpio noted as a remark on the minimization of the landmark arbitral award to a “piece of paper that can easily be thrown in a wastebasket.” 

Besides that, Justice Carpio and Mr. Cuaresma also laid down the important role of youth in the national conversation on maritime rights, encouraging them to play their part through educating themselves and promoting the Philippine narrative that is well-aligned with the legal and historical aspects.  

“Start familiarizing yourself with the issues and know our rights in the West Philippine Sea,” Justice Carpio advised. 

Finally, Mr. Cuaresma added that the ongoing dispute is now more than just a political and economic concern, as it is now also a “matter of national pride and identity as Filipino people.” “Kung nakikita nila na ang sambayanang Pilipino ay naninindigan… malaki ang laban natin.” 

(with Samantha Calderon)