Rappler's latest stories on Jay Batongbacal
Chinese aggression, pandemic likely to delay sea code – analysts
Still, experts agree that pursuing the code of conduct is a worthwhile investment to show that Southeast Asian nations and China can cooperate to solve disputes

ASEAN should rally behind Hague ruling to counter Chinese intimidation, experts say
Maritime experts say China will have no choice but to adjust if its Southeast Asian neighbors put up a united front in the strategic waterway

Carpio hits China's 'pure and simple bullying' in West Philippine Sea
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal also calls a Chinese warship's targetting of a Philippine Navy vessel a 'provocative and reckless escalation' of tensions in the West Philippine Sea

2019: Year of rough seas for PH in the face of belligerent China
Often undetected, Chinese vessels and warships cross deeper into the Philippines' territorial seas and closer to home

Gov't neglecting duty to defend PH territory – maritime expert
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal says not calling out China's latest harassment 'is tantamount to a public surrender of Philippine interest in Scarborough Shoal'

Locsin refuses to call out China ship harassment in West Philippine Sea
'We stick our noses in and 400,000 Filipino mariners get embroiled in a maritime issue,' says Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr

Maritime expert hits Panelo for downplaying China ship harassment
'It's like a person not caring that his house is being managed by someone else who claims to be the owner,' says expert Jay Batongbacal in response to Malacañang

Duterte has to do more than ‘raise’ Hague ruling with Xi – Carpio
The Philippine President has to gather support from the international community and take action in the West Philippine Sea, or China may just ignore him, maritime law experts say

WATCH: Forum on the 3rd anniversary of The Hague ruling on the West PH Sea
Watch the presentations and panel discussions here

PH urged to find 'middle ground' between U.S., China
‘We’re like a pendulum. We cannot keep swinging from one extreme to the other,’ says Aileen Baviera, professor and former dean of UP’s Asian Center

FALSE: Maritime law expert 'lied' about satellite image of Recto Bank
In his screenshot, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal also uses a layer from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit which captures satellite images on Earth in real time

Satellite data show China ship not 'besieged' by Filipino boats
(UPDATED) 'What 7-8 vessel swarm of night-marauding Filipino fishing boats is China talking about?' says maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal

China statement on PH boat 'an insult to intelligence' of Filipinos
China shows 'it has absolutely no respect for this country and its citizens,' says maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, as he enumerates falsehoods made by China

Sinking of Filipino vessel 'a first' in Philippines-China row
'It is enough reason for this administration to seriously reconsider its friendship policy toward China,' maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal tells Rappler

LIVE: Forum on maritime disputes in the South China Sea
The forum – Maritime Disputes in the South China Sea: Navigating the Diplomatic Waters – brings together high-level officials, diplomats, and experts on the issue

Professors, scholars launch signature campaign vs constituent assembly
(UPDATED) With at least 79 signatories as of 7 am of July 14, the manifesto also condemns talks of cancelling the 2019 elections

Calamian area a ‘confidence-builder’ for joint exploration in Reed Bank – analyst
Calamian is an uncontested area. Any joint exploration with China in the area should be governed by Philippine laws, says Aaron Jed Rabena of the policy think tank Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress

CONTEXT: China never said West Philippine Sea is 'disputed'
'China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters,' says Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying

Cayetano maintains it's the 'disputed' West Philippine Sea
'What are we going to do? Will we pretend it's not disputed?' says Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, as he hits 'so-called experts' like Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio

Gov't admits China surveyed Benham Rise without permit
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and the Philippine Navy say they lack the capabilities and ships to monitor illegal entry

Morales on Carandang suspension, Roque on fake news, Taguba ordered arrested | Evening wRap
Watch the evening newscast with Mara Cepeda
Roque says remarks on Benham Rise research misunderstood
The Presidential Spokesman claims he was referring to China, not Filipino scientists and researchers, when he said 'no one can do it, because, apparently, it's capital intensive'

[OPINION] Filipinos exploring Benham Rise region for years
This government’s claim that the Philippines cannot explore Benham Rise without China is a total sham meant to disempower and demean Filipinos and their capacity and capability as a people

China's 33-day permit to survey PH's eastern seaboard begins
The permit allows China to gather data on the ocean circulation in the Western Pacific, covering the 'eastern side of Luzon and Mindanao'

China wins vs U.S. at ASEAN Summit but loses on publicity
China gets things done in areas that matter – trade and security. It champions free trade and practically silences protests over its aggression in the South China Sea.

West PH Sea worth more than $24B from China – Carpio
The value of resources in the West Philippine Sea is much much higher than the Philippines 24 billion package from China SC Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio says

Rally world around Hague ruling, experts tell PH
We just dropped the ball after the ruling came out so how can you expect the world to support us? says SC Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio

Improved situation in Scarborough only temporary – analysts
The Philippine government is also told: Any negotiation to access Scarborough is a mistake because that is already your territory

The Scarborough vivendi
The tactical victory of restored access to fisheries resulted in the downgraded territorial status of Scarborough Shoal which is actually a strategic loss

'Always wait and see if Duterte will match words with actions'
I would hope that it is posturing of course because it is easier said than done says UP College of Law professor Jay Batongbacal on President Rodrigo Duterte s anti US tirades
Q and A: Is South China Sea now a superpowers' battleground?
UP law professor Jay Batongbacal says: The South China Sea and the region are becoming the arena for competition between these great powers

PH vs China: Why a win for Manila benefits the region
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal says a ruling striking down China s 9 dash line will be a victory not just for the Philippines but also for other claimant countries

China on talks with PH: No need to drop case
Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua says dropping the case is not a precondition to talks but it seems the Philippine side itself shut the door to secure that they have a strong position at the tribunal

'Binay's joint venture with China must be corruption-free'
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal says Vice President Binay s proposed joint venture with China is allowed under international law but must be corruption free

'PH likely to win, lose some claims vs China'
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal explains that sovereignty and China s land reclamation beyond the Philippines exclusive zone are Manila s main hurdles in the arbitration case

Filipino seamen at risk in South China Sea row
If we allow the 9 dash line to exist and China decides that they will not allow Filipino seafarers to cross the South China Sea you re out of jobs a maritime law expert says

Survey Spratlys before it's too late, Philippines urged
China s artificial islands in the South China Sea can make it impossible to settle the Philippines historic case against the Asian giant a US based analyst says

Q and A: Case vs China 'not enough,' expert says
We will always go back to the two countries sitting down to talk it out maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal tells Rappler

Philippines' problem: China thinks there's no problem
You can t solve a problem if you don t recognize that there is one the Philippines says after China rejected its South China Sea plan

PH hits China over sea plan: 'We're humoring ourselves'
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario says while China rejected the South China Sea plan Manila s proposal got no objections from ASEAN

Philippines denies violating own South China Sea plan
The Philippines says China might have misunderstood the triple action plan that the Southeast Asian country proposed to ASEAN

Philippines to upgrade Spratlys airstrip amid moratorium bid
The Philippines banks on the shared concern among ASEAN countries to convince China to agree to stop provocative activities in the South China Sea

Philippines' 'triple action plan' futile without China?
The triple action plan has a snowball s chance in hell of success an analyst says But the Philippines says China might be convinced who knows?

China rebuffs US for hitting 10-dash line
The South China Sea dispute is none of America s business says the Chinese Embassy pointing out that the US has not even ratified the UNCLOS

Philippines: China's '10-dash' line won't affect case
In the first place China hasn t officially communicated the 10 dash line to the international community a maritime law expert tells Rappler

PH: China reclamation 'jeopardizing' arbitration case
Turning Mabini Reef into an island can affect the Philippines historic case against China the Department of Foreign Affairs says

PH warned about backlash from China
The Philippines says we have to be ready for the consequences of the historic case against China over the West Philippine Sea
Trade-off? 'Bolder' Taiwan boats enter PH
Taiwan s lifting of sanctions is likely a trade off for portions of Philippine territory a maritime law expert says
DFA: Vietnam backs PH case vs China
The DFA says it is a possibility that Vietnam will participate in the unprecedented case over the South China Sea
Arbitration will not solve WPS dispute - expert
The case will lead to a scenario similar to the current one according to UP professor Jay Batongbacal