Palace hopes UN tribunal to favor PHL position in territorial row with China

This handout photo taken on March 17, 2015 by satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe and released to AFP by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSSI) think tank shows a satellite image of vessels purportedly dredging sand at Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. The series of satellite images posted on the website of the Center for Strategic and International Studies last week show a flotilla of Chinese vessels dredging sand onto Mischief Reef and the resulting land spreading in size. Beijing on April 9 reaffirmed its right to build on the disputed islands after the satellite imagery emerged of construction operations turning tropical reefs into concrete artificial islands. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims in the area. (AFP Photo / CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe)

MANILA — Malacanang expressed optimism on Saturday that the United Nations arbitral tribunal will rule in favor of the Philippines with regards to the jurisdiction issue on the South China Sea territorial dispute with China.

“We’re hoping because our team essentially prepared a strong case,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday.

“We believe that we stand on firm legal grounds and we hope that the tribunal will look at our position with favor because, while some people say that it’s merely a jurisdictional issue, if the tribunal sees that it has no jurisdiction, then we cannot proceed,” Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan in an interview.

“We cannot even present the merits of our case. But we are confident on the Philippine position on this matter.”

Commenting on China’s position not to send any representative in the UN tribunal, Valte said its China’s decision to do so.

“That is their choice. We cannot dictate on another country’s position.

We can only speak about ours. But they have already spoken that they choose—I think this has been said months and months ago—that they will not participate in the proceedings,” Valte said.

The members of the Philippine delegation with the exception of Senate President Frank Drilon are leaving for Amsterdam, Valte said.

The delegation will be meeting upon landing in Amsterdam to brief everyone of what is going to happen. The delegation will be observing the proceedings, she said.

Valte said they will try to share as much information as they can to the press although they don’t have much leeway in getting details, including taking photographs.

“I’m told that the photo taking is limited, but we will be sending daily bulletins upon clearance of the Executive Secretary at the end of the hearing,” Valte said.

The high-level delegation from the Philippines will be composed of top officials from the government coming from different branches.

These officials will come from the executive branch, the legislature as well as from the judiciary.

The Philippines filed a case in the arbitral tribunal as part of its thrust to peacefully settle the territorial dispute with China.

Aside from the case filed at the tribunal, the Philippines is also pushing for the creation of a binding Code of Conduct in South China Sea in the ASEAN to resolve the territorial issue and ease tensions.