International Law Backs PH Claim to West Philippine Sea: Fact-Checking Disinformation

A former Philippine congressman's claim that the Philippines has no legal basis for its territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has been rated FALSE by Rappler. The assertion, made on social media, is contradicted by international law and a landmark arbitral ruling. Former Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga posted on Facebook 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!). Barzaga’s post has 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. However, Rappler's fact-check confirmed that 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 exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The area was given the formal name West Philippine Sea in 2012 through Administrative Order 29. This legal framework also served as the foundation for the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) July 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines in its maritime dispute with China over the WPS. The ruling stated that 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. The United Nations-backed tribunal concluded 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 a February 2026 interview with DYSS Super Radyo Cebu, stating, “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.” The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has also criticized Beijing’s posts rejecting the 2016 arbitral award, emphasizing that 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.” Previous Rappler investigations have 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. Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has reminded Filipinos to vigorously fight China’s disinformation about the West Philippine Sea amid some content creators echoing China’s narratives. In a previous statement, Carpio said, “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.” 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 Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.