Arbitration hearing on sea dispute begins

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 25): Arbitration hearing on sea dispute begins

LAWYERS for the Philippines, backed by a large delegation of government officials, appeared Tuesday before a panel of international judges in The Hague seeking a ruling that could bolster territorial claims by a series of countries against China in the resource-rich South China Sea.

China, which claims economic and territorial rights in almost the entire Sea, has boycotted the proceedings and rejects the court’s authority in the case.

Paul Reichler, chief counsel of the Philippines in the arbitration case, assured the Philippine delegation that his team is fully prepared to present its case on the first day of the hearing at the Peace Palace, deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Monday night in Manila.

Valte, in a statement issued from The Hague, said Reichler, together with Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, briefed the Philippine delegation on the expected flow of the proceedings from November 24 and 30.

She said the 48-member Philippine delegation is headed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and includes Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justice and former Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, House committee on national defense and security chairman Rodolfo Biazon, political affairs secretary Ronald Llamas, Security Cluster Executive Director Emmanuel Bautista, and Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
“We are confident. The court did not reject the 15 issues we raised against China,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said.

The conduct of the First Round of Arguments for the Hearing on the Merits of the arbitration case filed by the Philippines stemmed from the arbitral tribunal’s decision in October that it has jurisdiction over the case.

The Philippines on July 7 presented its petition before the Tribunal seeking to clarify the maritime entitlements of countries over parts of the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea.

A final ruling is expected in mid-2016.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/arbitration-hearing-sea-dispute-begins