JULY 8 — The Philippines has begun presenting its case before the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, to convince the tribunal that it has jurisdiction to hear the country’s case against China.
“The Philippine delegation composed of representatives from all three branches of government has begun presenting its arguments for the Philippines’ position before the Arbitral Tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Peace Palace at The Hague, Netherlands,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a news bulletin issued on Wednesday.
Valte said Solicitor General Florin Hilbay introduced the case for the Philippines and presented the order of speakers for the hearing on Tuesday.
“Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario made an impassioned plea for the Tribunal to recognize its jurisdiction due to the importance of the case, not just to our country but to the entire world, owing to its impact on the application of the Rule of Law in maritime disputes,” she added.
Valte said Paul Reichler, Chief Counsel for the Philippines, presented the justification for the Tribunal’s jurisdiction over the Philippine claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Professor Philippe Sands followed Reichler’s presentation by stating that the Philippines did not raise questions of sovereignty over land or raise questions of maritime delimitation.
Valte said the first round of the Philippines’ arguments will continue on Wednesday (July 8) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Manila time) for the morning session, and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (about 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Manila time) for the afternoon session. (PND)
