MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – A cursory scan of world maps reveals that “West Philippine Sea” is non existent. It is an invention of the late Philippine President Noynoy Aquino.

Traditional maps have always identified the waters as “South China Sea,” even in documents relating to the territorial disputes involving China and other Southeast Asian Nations.

It appears that “West Philippine Sea” is an invention of of Aquino when he unilaterally renamed portions of the South China Sea to fit his country’s territorial claims.

Specifically, Administrative Order No. 29, released in 2012 by Aquino officially named the “maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago” as West Philippine Sea.

Is this a case of territorial claim by presidential directive?