Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has once again publicly spoken about the Philippines’ ongoing battle over disputed territories — an obvious reference to the country’s maritime spat with China over the West Philippine Sea.
In a speech delivered Monday before newly-sworn lawyers, Carpio said they should give their “undivided loyalty and allegiance” to the Philippines in case one day they get to represent the country in an arbitration case before an international tribunal hearing territorial disputes.
Last March, the Philippines pressed ahead with the submission of a crucial arbitration document packed with evidence and legal arguments seeking to invalidate China’s massive claim over the South China Sea.