Malacañang dismissed as speculation Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s statement that China will atttempt to reclaim the disputed Scarborough Shoal before the end of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the President will not allow any violation of the 2016 Arbitral ruling which recognized that the Philippines has the rights over the West Philippine Sea. The Palace expressed hopes that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will push through at the upcoming ASEAN Summit. This was raised by the Chief Executive during his last State Visit to China and Pres. Xi Jinping acceded to ensure peace and stability in the highly contested region.
