In March 2018, Cayetano reiterated that the West Philippine Sea is "disputed," despite an international court backed by the United Nations declared that the Philippines has the sole legal right on the resources of the West Philippine Sea which also deemed the Philippines as the internationally acknowledged country with jurisdiction on the area. Presidential spokesperson Roque also called the area as "disputed," effectively making it as the Duterte administration's policy on the West Philippine Sea. Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, the main proponent of the West Philippine Sea case, told media that the court ruling is clear and that the Filipino foreign secretary and the presidential spokesperson themselves need to be educated more on the matter, because if they continue to call an undisputed area as disputed, China will use it as leverage against the Philippines.