THERE are absurd ideas, there are dangerous ideas, and then there are ideas so alarmingly reckless that one wonders if their authors have ever opened a history book or even skimmed the 1987 Philippine Constitution they once swore to uphold. Retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio recently suggested using BrahMos supersonic missiles to increase the Philippines’ defense posture in the South China Sea (SCS). Carpio calls for an increase in nuclear-capable missiles to boost the country’s defense capability against China over the SCS.
Retired justice playing armchair general?
Every few months, Carpio resurfaces as if auditioning for a geopolitical talk show, often presenting himself as the savior of Philippine sovereignty. But this latest statement goes beyond misguided enthusiasm; it borders on strategic malpractice.
First, BrahMos missiles — while versatile — are part of a calibrated, conventional deterrence system. Calling for an expansion specifically of nuclear-capable systems is not only misleading but also constitutionally prohibited. The Philippines does not — and under its laws cannot — host, store, manufacture, transport, or deploy nuclear weapons. The Constitution explicitly bans nuclear arms on Philippine territory, and, if I am not mistaken, the country is a signatory to both the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ).
These are not mere footnotes. These are binding state commitments, foundations of Asean’s Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (Zopfan), and essential pillars of Asean’s collective security architecture. Yet here comes Carpio — blissfully unbothered by constitutional law, international law, regional diplomacy, or, apparently, common sense.
Hence, let us refresh the retired justice’s memory: Article II, Section 8: “The Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”
This provision could not be more unambiguous. The framers wanted the Philippines nowhere near the nuclear arms race. Why? Because this archipelago, battered by centuries of foreign wars and occupations, understood what nuclear brinkmanship means: annihilation, not security.
Carpio’s proposal casually tosses aside this constitutional safeguard — as if it were some outdated decoration, easily ignored in pursuit of theatrics masquerading as “deterrence.”
Furthermore, Carpio’s statement also threatens Asean unity. The Philippines is part of the SEANWFZ, which commits Asean states to remain entirely free of nuclear weapons. In short, Carpio’s suggestion would be viewed by regional countries not as a deterrent but as a threat to regional peace, security and stability, making the Philippines a regional liability in their eyes.
SCS dynamic is regional
The dynamics of the SCS disputes are regional, and no Asean state wants a nuclear flashpoint. The dispute is not just between the Philippines and China; it involves regional countries, and Carpio’s nuclear flirtation demonstrates stunning ignorance of regional and geopolitical realities.
Every SCS claimant state has stake claims, economic lifelines, and interests in these waters. None — let us emphasize this — none of them wants an arms race, definitely not a nuclear one. Tensions are already high; the region doesn’t need mercury rising at this time. The last thing Asean needs is for one member to import nuclear ambiguity and capability into an already volatile maritime theater, precisely because it is regionally destabilizing.
Security experts understand that deterrence must be calibrated, legal, proportionate, strategic, and diplomatically coordinated. Carpio’s proposal manages to be none of the above. What it is, instead, is dangerously provocative — an attempt to appear “tough” on China that actually puts Filipino lives at greater risk. Nuclear posturing is not the language of responsible statecraft; it is the language of brinkmanship that small states cannot afford. It is warmongering wrapped in patriotism, and under the guise of deterrence, but at the end of the day, it is still warmongering.
PH’s real problems
The Philippines has real pressing problems. Nukes won’t fix any of them. The country is besieged by massive corruption scandals that have engulfed no less than the president himself, his immediate and extended family, and other government officials. The country is facing economic decline, ballooning national debt, food insecurity, internal political instability, a demoralized bureaucracy, climate disasters, failures in disaster response, and deep domestic polarization, among others. And yet here comes Carpio, telling Filipinos that what they really need is… nuclear-capable missiles? Seriously??? This is not policy advice. This is a dangerous distraction.
Nuclear weapons grandstanding has no place in a nation already grappling with broken government institutions, a limping economy, a battered global reputation, and a public desperate for trustworthy leadership. The Philippines does not need reckless saber-rattling; it needs competence, credibility and the skill to navigate an already fragile geopolitical landscape without setting it on fire.
The SCS dispute requires diplomacy, peaceful negotiations, regional coordination, and strategic foresight and stability. What the Philippines actually needs is a coordinated Asean mechanisms for de-escalation, stronger economic resilience to reduce asymmetric dependence, a modernized navy and coast guard — not nuclear fantasies, legal, diplomatic, and humanitarian tools to protect Filipino fishermen, multilateral maritime domain awareness, stable relations with both China and the United States, and a White Paper on strategic posture, not random missile wish-lists from a retired justice seeking relevance. All of these require strategic discipline — something Carpio and his statement severely lack.
Part of the problem, not the solution
Carpio is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Carpio repeatedly positions himself as the Philippines’ “thought leader” on SCS issues. Yet every time he enters the discourse, he seems to make it harder — not easier — for Manila to build a coherent, regionally supported, constitutionally compliant approach and strategy to the SCS dispute.
His rhetoric doesn’t inspire genuine patriotism — it fuels jingoism and a brand of fake/false nationalism that confuses loud posturing for love of country. There is nothing nationalist or patriotic about dragging the nation toward unnecessary danger or to the brink of catastrophe. His rhetoric does nothing to advance the national interests of the country centered on preservation of our sovereignty and strategic autonomy, peace, and economic development and progress; instead, it encourages escalation, not stability. And worst of all, it exposes the Philippines to diplomatic fallout from neighbors who have every right to ask: Why is Manila entertaining nuclear-capable systems when it signed — twice — that it never would?
Carpio’s statements harm the Philippines more than they help. They promote theatrical nationalism at the expense of national and regional peace, security and stability. They confuse the public. They mislead policymakers. And they push the Philippines closer to the edge of conflicts it is not prepared to fight, nor will it ever win.
Conclusion
At a time when Filipinos are demanding accountability, stability and responsible leadership, Carpio’s suggestion is the geopolitical equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. What the Philippines needs is clarity, not confusion; diplomacy, not provocation; peaceful negotiations, not bravado; regional solidarity, not unilateral recklessness.
Carpio’s proposal to expand “nuclear-capable missiles” is a reckless detour that contradicts the Constitution, undermines Asean, threatens regional peace, and places the country in even greater danger.
The SCS dispute deserves a lucid, well-thought-out strategy — not a spectacle. Carpio is not part of the solution. He is, regrettably, part of the problem.
Source: The Manila Times
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/11/29/opinion/columns/carpios-reckless-nuclear-missile-madness/2233233
