Prof. Florin Hilbay: Trojan Horse in the West Philippine Sea Professor Florin T. Hilbay cautioned against the “Trojan horse in the West Philippine Sea” in his commentary in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of 30 May 2017. The former Solicitor General was referring to the revival of an old proposal during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, to hold “joint seismic marine undertaking[s] between the Philippines, China, and Vietnam… as a model for cooperation” in the region. Prof Hilbay argues that while this may have had plausible justification in the past, “joint exploration and development are [now] incompatible with the Constitution” post-arbitral decision in…

Prof. Dante Gatmaytan: “Ignoring Constitutional Checks for Emergency Rule” As the declaration of Martial Law over Mindanao reached its third week in effect, Prof. Dante Gatmaytan released the article “Ignoring Constitutional Checks for Emergency Rule” in the Blog of the International Journal of Constitutional Law. Prof. Gatmaytan elucidates on the grounds on which the said declaration could be questioned, particularly on the Congress’ inaction to critically assess the situation in Marawi City, as well as the possible engagement of the Supreme Court in this issue. “The constitutional strictures seem effective only if constitutional players recognize them,” he writes. The full…

Prof. Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan holds a seminar lecture on "History and Framework of the Philippine Law on Marriage: Common Issues for the Filipino Migrant" at the University of Antwerp On the occasion of the 2017 National Women's Month, Prof. Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan gave a seminar lecture at the University of Antwerp Faculty of Law on the "History and Framework of the Philippine Law on Marriage: Common Issues for the Filipino Migrant." The seminar was held on April 21, 2017, and was hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, in cooperation with the University of Antwerp. The lecture was aimed at Filipino…

Prof. Jay Batongbacal interviewed on Chinese incursions into Benham Rise For the program Political Capital, Bloomberg TV Philippines conducted an interview with Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, regarding Benham Rise and the incursions of Chinese vessels into the area. Prof. Batongbacal discussed the country's exclusive sovereign rights over the territory and pointed out that China's presence and recent activities in the area has serious implications on the country's rights and resources, as the movement of its vessels were indicative of exploration instead of navigation. The full length interview may…

Prof. Jay Batongbacal: Philippines has absolute sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, beyond any doubt. In an interview with ANC's Beyond Politics program, Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, emphasized that the Philippine sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal is "indubitably absolute" under the Republic Act 9522 or the Philippine Baselines Law. Several government officials have released statements expressing uncertainty over the ownership of Scarborough Shoal--a position that Prof. Batongbacal has found "troubling." "That should not be the position stated by our own government officials," he said. The full article and and a video…

Understanding the issue about Chinese survey vessels in Benham Rise Published March 14, 2017 10:19am (Reproduced from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/opinion/content/603095/understanding-the-issue-about-chinese-survey-vessels-in-benham-rise/story/) By JAY BATONGBACAL Benham Rise is an underwater plateau that stretches from the coasts of Cagayan and Bicol up to approximately 300-350 nautical miles (nm) in the Pacific Ocean. A large part of this plateau is within the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf of the Philippines. An additional area of seabed extending around 150 nm was successfully claimed by the Philippines as its “extended continental shelf” (ECS) in accordance with Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law…