Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio slammed President Rodrigo Duterte's claim that China is in possession of the contested West Philippine Sea. In a statement a day after Duterte's 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), Carpio pointed out that China only occupies the seven artificial islands in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands), Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and Sandy Cay. In 2016, the Philippines won a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which invalidated China's 9-dash line claim. China, however, refused to recognize the ruling.

Co, A. S. (2019, July 24). Carpio hits Duterte: China 'not in possession' of West PH Sea. Panay News, p. 7.