Carpio bucks criticism from Duterte over South China Sea case

FILE – SC Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio shows an ancient map that depicts the Scarborough Shoal as part of the Philippines to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

Supreme Court’s Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio ignored the criticism made by President Rodrigo Duterte, saying that the Chief Executive’s expletive-filled response against him over the South China Sea “is just too minor.”

Duterte, in a speech, said Carpio has been yapping but doing nothing about the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.

“Si Carpio, daldal nang daldal [expletive] wala namang ginagawa noon. So gusto nito punta ako doon sa UN for the enforcement,” Duterte.

But Carpio dismissed Duterte’s rebuke.

“If I am called names, [these are] OK with me,” Carpio said, adding that what he wanted to discuss the merits of the issue.

Carpio is part of the team that defended the Philippines’ case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He recently launched an ebook hoping that he could enlighten the public on the importance of defending the country’s territory and maritime entitlement.

“It is a civic duty of every Filipino to defend our territory, to defend our maritime entitlement in accordance with international law, in accordance with the Constitution. I am just doing my duty,” he said during the “Meet the Inquirer Multimedia.”

He said in 10, 15 or 25 years if “our grandchildren, great grandchildren will ask us why did we lose the West Philippine Sea to China, what will be your answer?”

“Being called names is just too minor compared to that question by our grandchildren,” Carpio said./ac

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