Jay L. Batongbacal
Professor, College of Law, University of the PhilippinesArticles by Jay L. Batongbacal
Politics
Can the next Philippine president stand up to Chinese pressure in the South China Sea?
The winner of the 2022 Philippines presidential elections will determine how the Philippines will handle its legally recognised claims in the West Philippine Sea both domestically and in the regional arena. While current President Rodrigo Duterte has gone against public sentiment several times with his relatively friendly stance towards China, his successor will have to decide how to handle Chinese maritime actions that put pressure on smaller neighbours in Southeast Asia.
Jay L. Batongbacal
21 Jan 2022
Politics
While preserving good relations with China, the Philippines must exercise its maritime rights
Since taking office in 2016, Philippine President Duterte has downplayed the South China Sea Arbitration Award in the hope of gaining China's infrastructure and financial offerings. This hope has so far remained largely unfulfilled. Despite Duterte's stance, various departments in the Philippine government have referenced the Award in defence of the Philippines' legal rights and jurisdiction in its maritime zones. Philippine academic Jay L. Batongbacal says that this and negative public opinion of Duterte's China policy means that the Award continues to serve as a bedrock for the Philippines to exercise its rights and to delegitimise China's claims and bullying actions in the South China Sea.
Jay L. Batongbacal
08 Oct 2021