West Philippine Sea

Our era, where disputes or fights between countries are not anymore settled through
brute force or aggressive actions but instead the community of nations created
international laws that bounds every state to help them resolve the disputes through
peaceful and diplomatic manner. Through this laws, the community of nations
established fair play between countries whether the other is
politically, economically, and militarily powerful than the other, the majority calls it the
Rule of Law. One of the present and notable international law that man created is the
UNCLOS, the constitution of nations in the use of waters of the world, specifically the
seas and oceans. Specifically, in the case of the Philippines and China where there is
an ongoing arbitration by the UNCLOS to resolve the matter.

In this particular case, China is asserting its territorial sovereignty in accordance with
the 9-dasline rule, which covers 90% of the Spratlys, and was conceived by them in the
year 2008. On the other hand the Philippines, claims that the 9-dashline rule enforced
by China is in violation of the international law, specifically the UNCLOS, and does not
have any basis in international law for it to be enforced. The Exclusive Economic Zone
of the Philippines is one of the majorly affected by the 9-dashline rule, wherein the West
Philippine Sea is almost 600 nautical miles from the baseline of the mainland China.
Basically, China is preventing its neighboring countries form developing their own
Exclusive Economic Zone .

In line with this, the Philippines being the inferior nation in terms of
economics, politics, and in military seeks the resolution of the territorial dispute through
the Rule of Law which is the customary international law or the UNCLOS. The UNCLOS
or Convention on the Law of the Sea is the primary international law governing the
conduct and use of the seas and oceans of the states. Legally, UNCLOS defines the
rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans, establishing
guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural
resources. In short, it is the guiding principles of the states on how to use the waters of
the world specifically the seas and oceans.

The present situation in the West Philippine Sea, the China aggressively denying
Filipino fisherman to the area and worst is they are building artificial islands where they
build military bases which destroys the ecology and marine life in the area. The matter
at hand that the Philippines who has a legitimate claim on the territory because it is
granted to it by UNCLOS cannot freely exploit its own Exclusive Economic Zone is a
threat to the existence of the UNCLOS itself. Even some publicists says that this
particular case is a test to UNCLOS if China would really abide to its final decision about
case if it favors the Philippines but if the Rule of Law cannot be upheld then we will go
back to the past wherein those who have powerful cannons has the right over that
territory. It’s is not that I’m a Filipino that I one-sidedly judged that the Philippines has
more rights over the area it’s just that even the basic principles of international law says
so and the physical facts that it can really even be determined through common sense .