By Jeffrey Damicog
Supreme Court (SC) Justice Antonio Carpio has given the assurance that he will continue to fight for the country’s territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) against the claims of China even after he retires.
Supreme Court Senior Justice Associate Justice Antonio Carpio (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“I am always available to defend our sovereign rights in the WPS,” he told reporters on Friday (Oct. 18).
“They want my opinion, my recommendation, I will give it willingly and gladly,” he assured the government.
Carpio, who will retire from the SC on his 70th birthday this October 26, has been an advocate of the Philippines’ territorial rights in the WPS.
He was also part of the legal team which won in 2016 the Philippines’ arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in the Netherlands.
The magistrate admitted he will miss the intellectual battles with fellow SC justices once he retires.
“I will miss that but we have a bigger foe. We have China so I think that will consume my time and I don’t think I will be longing to do other things,” he said.
With this, Carpio said he will continue to research, write and hold lectures concerning the WPS.
“I have several invitations to talk about the WPS in Japan and in the US,” he noted.
“I have friends researching on the same subject, who are also interested in the same subject and we agree to meet regularly and see how we should proceed from there,” he added.