Palace starts consultations with legal experts after PH win vs China

President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte. FILE PHOTO

The Duterte administration has started consultations with legal experts after the United Nation-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) favored the Philippines over China on the disputed South China Sea.

Fomer Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza were tapped by the administration after the landmark decision.

Hilbay, Carpio and Jardeleza were part of the Philippine Delegation to the UN Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said “some experts” were invited during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night after th UN-backed tribunal released its decision.

“There were some experts there,” Abella told reporters in an ambush interview, referring to the Cabinet meeting.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed in a text message that Hilbay, Carpio and Jardeleza were present during the Cabinet meeting.

President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier said the government would “study progressively” the decision of arbitration court.

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Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has said the government was studying the decision of the arbitration court on the South China Sea row and would release “a complete and thorough interpretation” in five days. RAM

READ: PH gov’t to release interpretation of UN ruling in 5 days