UN arbitral panel member with Pinay wife resigns

MANILA, Philippines - A panel member of the international arbitral tribunal that will hear the case filed by the Philippines against China on the West Philippine Sea dispute has resigned.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario confirmed yesterday the resignation of Judge Chris Pinto who would temporarily be replaced by International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) president Shunji Yanai.

“Judge Chris Pinto of Sri Lanka, who is married to a Filipina, has indeed resigned. The president of ITLOS will appoint his replacement,” del Rosario said in a text message to The STAR.

Yanai appointed in April the remaining three members of the five-member United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Arbitral Tribunal, including himself, to hear the Statement of Claim filed by the Philippines against China.

He transmitted a letter to Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, head of the Philippine legal team, on April 24, informing the Philippines of the appointment to the tribunal of Jean-Pierre Cot of France, Alfred Soons of The Netherlands, and Pinto.

He earlier appointed Stanislaw Pawlak of Poland as second member of the tribunal. 

The group will organize itself, establish its rules and determine whether it has jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Philippines has resorted to the rule of law by initiating arbitral proceedings under the 1982 UNCLOS to clarify its maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea.

Del Rosario said the Philippines’ recourse to arbitration is rooted in the tradition of good global citizenship. 

He stressed that the Philippine arbitral initiative, when objectively considered, would benefit all parties concerned.

He explained that for China, an arbitral award would finally clarify its lawful maritime entitlements in the South China Sea under the UNCLOS.

This would enable China to provide responsible leadership towards fostering stability in the region, Del Rosario said.

– Pia Lee Brago