Prof. Florin Hilbay: "Federalism for What?" Professor Florin Hilbay begins a national “conversation” in his article “Federalism, for what?” regarding a core project of President Duterte’s administration. In the article, published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 8, 2016, Prof. Hilbay suggests that a clarification of purpose(s) of the federalism project is required before venturing into the procedure by which Constitution may be changed or amended. The article raises a series of fundamental questions and urges that we examine whether these can be resolved applying the existing Constitution. Prof. Hilbay's complete article may be accessed at http://opinion.inquirer.net/96331/federalism-for-what  

UP College of Law Faculty Scholarship Series launched with “The Philippines in the International Law of the Sea” In recognition of the legal expertise of the faculty of the UP College of Law, the Law Complex has launched a new publication project the Faculty Scholarship Series (FSS). The series aims to make available collections of articles that explore the realms of constitutional law, globalization, the law of the sea, public interest law, among others. The FSS augments the study of law by providing academic discussions on significant legal, political, and social issues. It seeks to stimulate discussion and serve as…

Prof. Hilbay responds to journalists' comments on decisions he made as Solicitor General Professor Florin Hilbay throws light on some muddled reportage on aspects of the legal strategy used in the Philippines’ case against China over the West Philippine Sea. In the “Response to Ms. Hofileña and Ms. Vitug,” Professor Hilbay, who was part of the Philippine legal team as the country’s Solicitor General from June 2015 to June 2016, explains the technical issues, specifically regarding Itu Aba in the Spratley chain of islands. Prof. Hilbay’s statement was in reaction to an article written by Rappler editors Chay Hofileña and…

The Philippines v. China verdict: China’s crossroads (Reproduced from https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/philippines-v-china-verdict-chinas-crossroad/) 15 Jul 2016|Jay L Batongbacal ‘An overwhelming victory’ is how Paul Reichler, lead counsel of the Philippines, describes the Award issued by Permanent Court of Arbitration Tribunal in the case of Philippines v. China concerning the South China Sea (SCS).  The Tribunal unanimously granted all but a handful of Manila’s claims, and in doing so laid down a significant number of rulings that will reshape the discourse over the SCS disputes in the years to come. First and foremost, the Tribunal definitively characterised and then struck down the most expansive…

Prof. Jay L. Batongbacal interviewed on Mornings@ANC regarding the South China Sea Arbitration China will accept ruling over time, expert says Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News Posted at Jul 13 2016 09:07 PM (Reproduced from https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/13/16/china-will-accept-ruling-over-time-expert-says) 'Don't expect China to remove structures,' says UP's Jay Batongbacal The director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea said on Wednesday the arbitration verdict may be binding on all parties, but its effects will not be immediate. Speaking to Mornings@ANC, Atty. Jay Batongbacal said it may take decades before China complies with the award from the Permanent Court…