Expect China to reclaim the disputed Scarborough Shoal before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down in 2022. This is the belief of Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio in his lecture during the U.S. Embassy’s Media Seminar on Maritime Issues here on Wednesday. Carpio said China is emboldened to make the move after Pres. Duterte expressed that he could not stop the Chinese from building structures in the disputed area also known as Panatag shoal.

Angelo, F. A. L. (2019, September 26). China will reclaim Scarborough in three years, SC justice says. Daily Guardian, pp. 1, 14.