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☆ Philippines weighing legal options against China over coral reef 'destruction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MANILA, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines is exploring legal options against China accusing it of destruction of coral reefs within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, an allegation rejected by Beijing an attempt to "create political drama". The Philippines foreign ministry late on Thursday said it was awaiting assessments from various agencies of the extent of environmental damage in Iroquois Reef in the Spratly islands and would be guided by solicitor general Menardo Guevarra. Any move to pursue arbitration would be highly controversial after the Philippines' landmark 2016 victory in a case against China that concluded Beijing's claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea had no basis under international law. Iroquois Reef is close to the Reed Bank, where the Philippines hopes to one day access gas reserves, a plan complicated by China's claim to the area. Coral in the South China Sea has been used for limestone and construction materials, traditional medicines and even souvenirs and jewelry.

Persons: Menardo, Guevarra, Mao Ning, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: China, Department of Foreign Affairs, South China, Reed Bank, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Spratly, Hague, China, South, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia

☆ Philippines Weighs Legal Options Against China Over Coral Reef 'Destruction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Neil Jerome MoralesMANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines is exploring legal options against China accusing it of destruction of coral reefs within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, an allegation rejected by Beijing as an attempt to "create political drama". The Philippines is studying the possibility of filing a second legal case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, Guevarra said on Friday. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. China, which has refused to recognise the 2016 ruling and has chafed at repeated mention of the case by Western powers, denied the latest claims of destruction of coral reefs. Coral in the South China Sea has been used for limestone and construction materials, traditional medicines and even souvenirs and jewellery.

Persons: Neil Jerome Morales MANILA, General Menardo Guevarra, Guevarra, China's, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mao Ning, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China, Reuters, South China, West, Department of Foreign Affairs, Reed Bank Locations: Philippines, South China, Beijing, Spratly, Hague, West Philippine, Manila, South, China, Vietnam, Malaysia

☆ Philippines will pursue drugs war appeal with ICC, says top gov't lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, April 12 (Reuters) - The Philippines will pursue its appeal questioning the International Criminal Court's (ICC) jurisdiction and authority to investigate killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte's 'war on drugs', its top lawyer said on Wednesday. Guevarra said the president's remarks meant the Philippines will "disengage with the ICC after exhausting our legal remedies within the framework of the Rome Statute". The ICC probe was reopened in January 2023. But the tribunal's top prosecutor Karim Khan said the ICC has jurisdiction because the country was a party at the time the alleged crimes were committed. Khan asked the court on April 4 to reject Manila's appeal and uphold its earlier decision to allow the resumption of the probe.

It suspended its probe in November 2021 at the request of the Philippines after Manila said it was carrying out its own investigations. The ICC investigation was reopened in January 2023 and on March 27 the ICC rejected Manila's request to suspend it pending an appeal questioning the court's jurisdiction and authority. It is not clear even among some government officials what cutting contact meant or whether the Philippines will completely drop its appeal against the ICC investigation. Police say they killed 6,200 suspects during anti-drug operations that ended in shootouts but reject accusations by human rights groups of systematic executions and cover-ups. There doesn't seem to be any political will within the Philippine government to seriously investigate," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told CNN Philippines.

☆ Philippines' Duterte ready to "face the music" as ICC forges ahead with probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte, whose presidency ended last year, told a gathering of prosecutors: "I did what I had to do. Duterte, who campaigned on promises to kill drug dealers, is being investigated by the ICC for possible crimes against humanity. The probe was reopened in January and the ICC on Monday rejected Manila's request to suspend it pending an appeal questioning the court's jurisdiction and authority. "Disengaging could mean many things, and that is what I want to clarify with the president," Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who was justice minister under Duterte, told news channel ANC. Asked about the remarks of Marcos, the ICC said it does not comment on ongoing investigations.

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