FORMER Justice Antonio Carpio has been cited by our senators as the author of the initiative to elevate the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). His proposals are misinformed and misleading, likely causing the Philippines to miss a golden opportunity to settle the WPS dispute through the UN.

A rule in diplomacy is that an ambassador must not intervene publicly in a diplomatic initiative by the host government. Nonetheless, French Ambassador Michele Boccoz did that on the proposed Senate initiative to submit the dispute to the UN. The French ambassador queried: What are the expectations of the Philippines in raising it to the United Nations?