MANILA: The Office of the Solicitor General has created a “special team” to study possible legal action regarding China’s continued refusal to recognise the ruling of an international arbitration court in 2016.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra disclosed this yesterday, two days after the Philippines marked the seventh year since the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled in favour of Manila over Beijing in the maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
“This study will be useful to the President and the Department of Foreign Affairs in determining our future course of action with respect to the West Philippine Sea,” Guevarra told The STAR in a text message.
Former solicitor general Francis Jardeleza had broached the idea of filing another arbitration case to further assert the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
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He said the case should be handled solely by the Office of the Solicitor General to do away with “the heavy cost of hiring foreign counsel.”
“Essentially, litigation options would be the better way for the country,” he earlier said.
Jardeleza said the Office of the Solicitor General could choose from a menu of possible claims, including one for damages or other provisional relief.
The international tribunal’s decision recognised the Philippines’ declaration for rights, without suing China for damages in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
Jardeleza, however, acknowledged that President Marcos would have the final say if the Philippines decides on the issue, being the chief architect of the country’s foreign policy.
The Philippines should work on fighting for its sovereign rights amid China’s aggressive actions and harassment of Filipino fisherfolk and vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines did not win anything when the PCA issued its so-called Arbitral Award in 2016, according to former national security adviser Clarita Carlos.
Worse, she believes that the supposed international support that the country is getting seven years after the historic decision was issued, is nothing but “laway” – lip service.
On so-called international support coming from the United States, Japan and other foreign nations, Carlos said such pronouncements are nothing but talk. “Realpolitik tells us that’s only saliva,” she said.
To deal with the country’s problems with China in the West Philippine Sea, Carlos said one solution she has proposed to Marcos is moving toward multi-alignment which will focus on economy.
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