Philippine Delegation to UN PCA (Photo : UN PCA)
There would be a five-day move of the decision on the arbitration case brought by the Philippine government against China before the U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The court initially said it would release the verdict on ownership over Scarborough Shoal on July 7.
In a new press release on Thursday, the PCA announced the new release date to July 12 at around 11 a.m. CEST, at The Hague in The Netherlands. PCA said the Award would be first issued by email to the parties concerned, to be accompanied by a press release in English and French. There would also be an unofficial translation in Mandarin Chinese.
After the parties are emailed the Award, the PCA would then give copies of the decision to PCA member-states, members of court, the public and media who registered with PCA. The Award’s copy would also be uploaded on the court’s website.
Besides the Award, the tribunal ordered the PCA to upload on its website the Tribunal’s Procedural Orer, reports of experts appointed by the Tribunal and the written submissions of the Philippine government. The PCA would also provide media with high-resolution images which it would post on its website.
On Saturday, CNN reported that the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Northern Luzon Command led a newly formed task force on the West Philippine Sea to assert the country’s rights in the waters off Bataan, Zambales and the Benham Rise east of Aurora. It would relieve Filipino fishermen from Masinloc the need to fend off the threats from Chinese coast guard shooing them away from Scarborough Shoal.
