This article must be coming from anti duterte camp. Justice Carpio already said he wouldn't approve joint drilling with china, mostly because his legacy is tied to The Hague ruling which his team won. Carpio believes doing a joint with China invalidates the arbitration award he worked so hard to win. Duterte found a legal document or law allowing him to make such a deal without the justices approval. That they only need to be notified. Not agreed to by the justices or courts.
Carpio isn't the guy to talk to on these matters. The army or navy are who duterte needs to be listening to. And when China takes yet another reef by reef and harasses his armed forces like the weaklings that they are, Duterte needs to stop covering it up like the true coward that he is. He instead needs to shout it out loud for the international community which he has pushed away, would sympathize and recognize that the United Nations laws are being broken and that an invasion is going on inch by inch. He can get international sympathy and those French British and American fleets passing by can park in front of those reefs for a week or so and make a clear statement. Duterte was hypnotized by the carrot on a stick and promises yet unfulfilled and fears calling out china publicly in fear of losing loans that are not even guaranteed to receive yet.
The thing that can clear things up is a framework contract that also doubles as a treaty. There are already international laws that should be respected but the unclos are just a little bit vague and there is where china is trying to take advantage, and also why the international community was hoping they would work this out together between them, which was naive since it's obvious that china would easily be the successful aggressor by just taking what they want with their mythology. As if Chinese boats were the only ones that fished those islands in the past ancient history. A framework would reinforce that these Chinese criminals agree not to encroach another inch of ph sovereignty. Catch 22. At this point the actions of china are the same reasons duterte senators are losing the desire to support this. Duterte could do this without his senate but then he risks taking all the blame if it doesn't work out and he risks getting impeached. Maybe hung from a tree and pissed on for loving xi and china that effing much. For someone who use to be a lawyer he really has a big mouth and small brain. I'd hate to get in legal trouble in the ph of he's one of their best. Sheesh!!
I'm still optimistic not because of that idiot duterte but because trump and the international community is finally showing up at the South China Sea . I'm optimistic that Vietnam is at least protesting and talking tough unlike dutertea silence. I'd say that certainty of this deal has dropped from 80% to more like 65-70%. Still good odds on something that can return 1000% quickly. Hopefully positive developments happen and not just with Ceytano strategy of prayer. Hopefully the foolishly aggressive Chinese will realize that more gets done with diplomacy and sharing. Especially sharing something that wasn't theirs to begin with. If China wants war then let's give it to them. Japan survived hiroshima. Just my opinion. Invest responsibly.
