The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that handles the case of a sea disputes between the Philippines and China, confirmed that it will issue its ruling on the Philippines’ case against China.
Contrary to an earlier media report that the verdict is out on July 7, the PCA confirmed that ruling is going to be issued on July 12.
In a statement by the PCA, Wednesday evening, June 29, It said that “The Tribunal will issue its Award on July 12, 2016, Tuesday, approximately 11 am CEST, The Hague.”
The PCA said that “the Award will first be issued by means of email to the Parties, along with an accompanying Press Release containing a summary of the Award written in English and French, with an unofficial Mandarin Chinese translation provided and will also be uploaded to the PCA’s official website.
“The Parties will receive originally signed versions of the Award. Hard copies of the Award will also be sent to the Embassies of States that were granted observer status for the hearings. There will be no in-person meeting or ceremony for the rendering of the Award,” the PCA said.
After issuing the award to the Philippines and China, the tribunal will then send it to the observer states and other stakeholders, including the media.
In these arbitration proceedings, the Philippines tries to invalidate China’s expansive sea claim over ninety percent of the entire South China Sea, parts of which the Philippines claims as the West Philippine Sea. – Jason E.
“International law must have a big weight in how disputes are solved. Outcomes cannot be
determined just by might is right. The Chinese have seen other great powers during history that have tried to rise by might only to rise & fall.”
PM Lee Hsien Loong