FACT CHECK: International law backs PH claim to the West Philippine Sea

Claim: There is no legal basis in international law for the Philippines’ claim to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Former Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga made a Facebook post on June 22, stating: “There is no legal basis for the West Philippine Sea in International Law, naghahanap lang talaga ng gulo ang Philippine Coast Guard (The Philippine Coast Guard is really just looking for trouble)! #PhilippineCrocodileGuard.”

West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas along the western side of the Philippine archipelago which are within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The area was given this formal name in 2012, through Administrative Order 29.

Barzaga’s post has since garnered over 3,200 reactions, 6 comments, and 69 shares. The former lawmaker’s Facebook page, which has over 1.9 million followers, consistently posts pro-Duterte and anti-Marcos content.

The facts: The Philippines’ claim over the WPS is firmly anchored in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Under this international treaty, the Philippines — like other coastal states — is entitled to sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile EEZ.

This same legal framework served as the foundation for the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s July 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines in its maritime dispute with China over the WPS.

According to the ruling, China had “violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.”

The landmark ruling also declared China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea invalid, with the United Nations-backed tribunal concluding that there was “no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’.”

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela reiterated this international law basis in February 2026, during an interview with DYSS Super Radyo Cebu.

“We have been standing up for our rights in the WPS. We’re exposing the Chinese aggression, and the international community has been very supportive of our side,” Tarriela said.

On June 22, the Philippines’ foreign affairs department criticized Beijing’s posts rejecting the 2016 arbitral award, saying the award is “final and binding and has become an unassailable part of the corpus of international law, providing legal clarity regarding maritime rights and entitlements in the South China Sea.”

WPS disinformation: An earlier investigation conducted by Rappler revealed how various pro-China communities on Facebook have been spreading propaganda and disinformation since the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte to support China’s claims and narratives.

“These narratives are rooted in the arguments that downplayed the Philippines’ victory at The Hague, where the former Aquino administration brought the country’s case to the arbitral tribunal against China over the West Philippine Sea in 2016,” the findings revealed.

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio reminded Filipinos to vigorously fight China’s disinformation about the West Philippine Sea amid some content creators echoing China’s narratives. (READ: Southeast Asia Speaks: Antonio Carpio on West PH Sea and leading a political movement)

“We are in a battle with China for the hearts and minds of the people of the world. Not only our people, but the people of the world. So we have to be on our toes. We have to do our own research and rebut them. That’s the only way. We have to present the facts and the law. That is where we are strong,” Carpio said.

Some local content creators continue to echo claims from Media Unlocked, a program run by the Chinese government, which paints the Philippines as the aggressor in the West Philippine Sea. – Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

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