Arbitration case ticking time bomb against Philippines: columnist

The South China Sea arbitration case the Philippines filed is like a ticking time bomb working against the country, a columnist wrote on Saturday.

Rod Kapunan, a columnist for the Philippines' daily newspaper The Standard, published an article named "Inciting to War with China."

According to Kapunan, bring the case to Permant Court of Arbitration (PCA) was a lose-lose proposition.

"It implies that we would respect whatever decision that the arbitration court will render. We can no longer turn our back much that it was this government that took the initiative to bring the case for arbitration. On the part of the Chinese, they may not demand that we withdraw our case, but certainly they would not accede to negotiate while a case remains pending against them before the international arbitration tribunal," he wrote.

"We completely deprived ourselves of the opportunity once offered to us by China, like a joint cooperation to explore, harness and develop the area," he added.

Kapunan said "any decision of the PCA could only justify the permanent presence of U.S. forces in Philippine territory, possibly demanding a higher price using the pretext that we need them more than they need us."

He accused the Aquino administration of advocating the idea of engaging China in a possible war over the South China Sea Issue.

"The offense they committed is serious," said Kapunan.

"It means that the lives of the Filipinos would be sacrificed to enforce a decision that if examined closely is a U.S. proxy war which the Philippines would serve as cannon fodder in securing its interest in this part of the globe," He explained. Endit