The Philippines finally got its turn to be heard at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague. More than two years after the Philippines brought the case against the People’s Republic of China to the PCA on the matters of the South China Sea, hearings on the jurisdiction of the case are being held at the Peace Palace from 7-9 July 2015.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte described the flow of events as such:
• The hearings will run from Tuesday, 7 July to Thursday, 9 July at the Peace Palace in the Hague, the Netherlands.
• The 7 July hearing will run from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Dutch time
• There will be two main speakers in today’s hearings – Sollicitor-general Florin Hilbay and DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario.
• Solgen Hilbay will open the case by giving a summary of what the experts will present in the next few days.
• Secretary de Rosario will then explain to the tribunal why the Philippines brought this matter up for arbitration.
• Afterwards, Washington-based firm Foley and Hoag will present its arguments.
The issue of jurisdiction will be the main issue at the tribunal in the next few days.
The mood is positive as the members of the Philippine delegation believe that they stand on firm legal ground.#