“China’s declaration raises the issue of what state has sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc – the Philippines or China,” Antonio Carpio, an ex-Supreme Court senior associate justice, said in a statement on Saturday, using Manila’s official name for the contested shoal.
“Thus, it is not enough for the Department of Foreign Affairs to lodge a perfunctory protest.”
His comments follow China’s announcement on September 10 that it had designated a national nature reserve spanning 35 million square metres (376 million sq ft) in the South China Sea – including Scarborough Shoal – which Beijing described as crucial for “diversity, stability and sustainability”.
The move drew a protest on Thursday from Manila, which condemned it as “illegitimate and unlawful”.
