Philippine Embassy in The Hague honors only Pinoy jurist in Int’l Court of Justice

The Philippine Embassy to The Hague will dedicate a sitting room at its chancery in honor of the only Filipino judge to sit in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

In a statement, the DFA said the sitting room will be named after former Chief Justice Cesar Bengzon who served as an ICJ judge from 1967 to 1976.

"The event, undertaken in collaboration with the Philippine Society of International Law,  will be a milestone for the international law community as several prominent international legal luminaries, including incumbent judges of the ICJ, will attend the ceremony," the DFA said.

"This event affirms the recognition of the Philippines' contribution to the international legal system through Judge Bengzon and other outstanding Filipinos in the field," it added.

The inauguration ceremony of the ICJ Judge Cesar Bengzon Hall will be held on July 19.

Aside from Bengzon, the Embassy will also honor Justice Florentino Feliciano, Senior Associate Justice of the SC of the Philippines (1994 to 1995) and founding member and then President of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (1995 to 2001); and Judge Raul C. Pangalangan, Judge of the International Criminal Court (2015 to 2021) during the ceremony.

ICJ vice president Judge Kirill Gevorgian and ICJ Judge Iwasawa Yuji will deliver keynote messages during the event. Philippine SC chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo will also give a video message to the assembly.

Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya said the Philippines has made significant contributions to the progressive development of international law.

These contributions include the drafting of the United Nations Charter’s chapter on international trusteeship for non-self governing territories and the articulation of key principles of the peaceful settlement of disputes as embodied in the Manila Declaration of 1982.

Also, the Philippines took part in the development of the archipelagic doctrine in UNCLOS, and recently on clarifying key UNCLOS provisions on maritime entitlement and jurisdiction.

"We Filipinos should take pride that we are not only receivers of international law, but actually shapers of it," Malaya said. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News