President Duterte’s decision to allow Chinese fishermen to trawl in Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea violates the 1987 Constitution, Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned Tuesday. Carpio explained that Recto Bank is part of the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where Filipinos should enjoy exclusive sovereign right to fish. “The Philippine government cannot allow Chinese fishermen to fish in Philippine (EEZ) in the (West Philippine Sea) because it will violate the Constitution,” the SC magistrate stressed in a statement sent to media.

Punay, E., Romero, P., & Lee-Brago, P. (2019, June 27). Carpio: Allowing China to fish in Phl EEZ unconstitutional. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 5.