Filipinos embraced the ruling of a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal that favored the Philippines in its historic case against China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Shortly after the ruling spread on the Internet late Tuesday afternoon, July 12, #CHexit – short for "China, exit!" – started to climb as a top trending topic in the Philippines on Twitter. The hashtag became the number one topic on Twitter 15 minutes after the ruling was announced at about 5 pm according to Rappler’s report.

The Philippines' case against China is a first in any legal challenge that has been brought in the South China Sea territorial dispute. The credit for this effort will have to go to the Aquino Administration. The Spratlys archipelago is the main focus of the claim, which straddle vital international shipping lanes, tensions in the South China Sea have always been there for decades, and for some strange reasons intensified in recent years. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claim the Spratly Islands and/or surrounding waters. China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim all of the Paracel Islands in the north of the South China Sea.

The findings are legally binding, However UNCLOS has no enforcement body thus making it unclear what can be done when China ignores the ruling. Chinese officials have already expressed military action to enforce their claims, they have even warned against further expansion of the U.S. military presence in the area. The U.S. will respond with increased frequency of so-called freedom of navigation operations in the region and increased defense aid to Southeast Asian countries which will further increase tension in the area. This is the reason why the Duterte administration is not to keen on our victory. This translates to heightened tension that will surely affect us. The Philippines win over China is not the end of the problem, it seem like it is the beginning.

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