Professor Jay Batongbacal has been the ‘go to’ maritime law expert, along with retired Supreme Court Justice Carpio, in raising public awareness of developments in the West Philippine Sea. In the week of 20-24 April 2020, media carried reports of China’s continuing encroachment in the Spratleys and the Paracels notwithstanding the global preoccupation with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two concerns raised in the past week were the building of mental health stations on occupied islands and reefs in the West Philippine Sea and “China’s creation of [two] new administrative districts” in the Paracels and Spratly Islands Dr. Batongbacal warned that “Absence of protests on the part of other countries, especially those directly affected, will be seen as acquiescence or recognition of the exercise of such control as valid.”