The Philippines must demand justice and reparation for the injured Filipino Navy sailors and their damaged vessels as a result of the ruthless assault and aggression of Chinese coastguards in the West Philippine Sea, a maritime zone awarded to the Philippines by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.

The government must demand from China the full identities of the culprits. The Chinese government is also liable as the principal of the culprits.

Government vessels are extensions of Philippine territory and sovereignty so much so that the injuries and damages sustained by Filipino naval personnel and seacraft were committed under Philippine jurisdiction.

The criminal acts of the Chinese coastguards also constituted a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

EDCEL C. LAGMAN