Int'l tribunal seeks more arguments from Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The international tribunal asked the Philippines to submit further written arguments after China ignored the December 15 deadline for its counter-memorial in the case on the South China Sea dispute.

In a statement Wednesday from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands, the arbitral tribunal cited the rules of procedure for proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in its new request for the Philippines.

"The Philippines has until Mar. 15, 2015 to file a supplemental written submission addressing the Arbitral Tribunal's Request," it said.

China, meanwhile, is given until June 16, 2015 to read and respond to its rival claimants' new arguments.

The court also invited the Philippines to "address, as it considers appropriate, any public statements made by the Chinese government in relation to the dispute."

The tribunal also made clear that the proceedings will continue even as one of the parties does not appear or fails to defend its case.

Earlier this week, Beijing stated that it will continue to reject and refuse to participate in the case, insisting to hold bilateral talks with the Philippines.

"We maintain that parties concerned should resolve relevant disputes through consultation and negotiation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law," China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said.

The tribunal, meanwhile, also commented on Vietnam's statement on the proceedings supporting the Philippines' position on the court's jurisdiction over the case.

Vietnam had also rejected the legality of China's so-called nine-dash line as basis of its claims over the South China Sea.

"The Arbitral Tribunal is presently consulting with the Parties on a 'Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam for the attention of the Tribunal in the Proceedings between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China," the tribunal said.

The five-member tribunal is chaired by Judge Thomas Mensah of Ghana, while its members are Judge Jean-Pierre Cot of France, Judge Stanislaw Pawlak of Poland, Professor Alfred Soons of the Netherlands, and Judge Rüdiger Wolfrum of Germany.