SC to hear Torre de Manila arguments Tuesday

Torre de Manila. Oral arguments on the petition to have it torn down start Tuesday afternoon, July 21, 2015. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE

Oral arguments on the Torre de Manila controversy will push through as scheduled Tuesday afternoon, July 21, 2015, despite the government’s appeal to have it rescheduled.

The high court’s information chief Theodore Te said petitioner Knights of Rizal would present its oral arguments starting at 2 p.m.

Last week, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, submitted a motion urging the high tribunal to reset the debate 30 days from Tuesday because he needed time to attend to the Philippines’ petition before the United Nation’s arbitration court in The Hague in The Netherlands.

Hilbay arrived from The Hague last week as part of the contingent which represented the Philippines’ petition against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, in particular in areas being claimed by Manila within what it calls the West Philippine Sea.

The Solicitor General said the Philippines needed to submit on July 20 and 23 written responses to questions posed by the arbitral tribunal during hearings held early this month.

“It is indispensable that he and his team be allowed all the time before the said 20 July 2015 and 23 July 2015 deadline to make the necessary preparations for the required submissions to protect the national interest,” he said.

Hilbay added that they also needed to confer with various government agencies connected to the arbitration case and report what happened during the hearing.

That is on top of the oral arguments in the Torre de Manila case, where he needed confer with concerned agencies to assist him in preparing the government’s position.

“Thus, given the complexity, novelty and important historical and cultural implications of the present case, the undersigned, as counsel for respondents, are constrained to ask for the Honorable Court’s indulgence in granting an additional period of 30 days from 15 July, 2015 or until 14 August 2015, within which to submit the required position paper and at least 30 days from 21 July, 2015 to adequately prepare for the oral arguments,” Hilbay said.

But the high court thumbed down the additional 30 day extension and ordered the government to argue on the case on August 4.