The arbitral tribunal that the Philippines won in relation to the West Philippine Sea allegedly has no jurisdiction.
This was asserted by Dr. Wu Shicun, Founding President of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) of China, during a plenary session of the Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea 2025.
According to Wu, the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the case.
He further maintained that the tribunal’s jurisdiction was illegal.
He added that the issue between the Philippines and China was not part of the interpretation of UNCLOS.
He said it is about a sovereign dispute.
Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, however, disagreed, saying that by joining UNCLOS, China agreed to arbitration.
Carpio further emphasized that China “gave its consent in advance.”
(SCREEN GRAB FROM PCG)
