Host country agreement eyed between PH, Permanent Court of Arbitration

In this July 7, 2015, image provided by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the case regarding the Philippines and China on the South China Sea is heard at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, the Netherlands.  (Permanent Court of Arbitration via AP)

MANILA, Philippines — The possibility of establishing a Host Country Agreement between the Philippines and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was raised during a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Court’s secretary general, the Palace said Thursday.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), PCA Secretary General Marcin Czepelak paid Marcos a courtesy call in Malacañang as part of a custom for PCA officials to visit contracting parties to promote the Court’s dispute settlement mechanisms.

“Czepelak expressed interest in exploring the potential for establishing a Host Country Agreement with the Philippines to facilitate PCA hearings within the nation,“ the PCO said in a statement.

Czepelak also noted the Philippines’ contributions to the PCA, especially with its Philippine Ambassador Eduardo Malaya as the current acting president of the PCA Administrative Council since 2022.

Marcos, while welcoming Czepelak, then highlighted the PCA as a key element of the Philippines’ foreign policy.

“The Permanent Court of Arbitration is an important part of our foreign policy considering all the challenges that we are facing right now and our continuing adherence to international law,”  Marcos said.

READ: Marcos says Permanent Court of Arbitration vital to PH foreign policy

The President said that this adherence to international law is an “argument” the country continues to make “in several instances.”

The PCA is where Manila questioned Beijing’s 10-dash line before the tribunal in 2013. The 10-dash line is China’s sweeping claim over most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The arbitral tribunal in 2016 then ruled in favor of the Philippines, affirming its exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.

Despite the ruling, China has continued to encroach on Philippine waters, harassing Filipino ships and fishermen.