West Philippine Sea: Territorial Tragedy

For many decades prior to the 2012 Scarborough Shoal Standoff,

the disputes in this part of the world remained dormant. It only
escalated in 2012 after China sent paramilitary ships to Scarborough
and blocked its perimeter to keep Filipino vessels and fishing boats
away from the area.

In response, and because of its significantly weaker military

capabilities, the Philippines resorted to international law—the great
equalizer of nations. In 2013, it filed a case against China at
the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
(ITLOS) concerning maritime questions in the West Philippine Sea.

In 2009, in accordance with the rules and deadlines set by

the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
the Philippines amended its baselines law, which defines the boundaries
of the country’s territory.

Finally, in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration handed out a

landmark victory for the Philippines and declared China’s nine-dash
lines and historical claims on the entire South China Sea illegal. It also
declared key features in the West Philippine Sea as falling within the
Philippines’ maritime zone.