Manila, June 25 -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday issued guidelines for the July 2 oral arguments on the writ of kalikasan suit filed by petitioners seeking assertive government action on the disputed Ayungin Shoal, Panganiban Reef, and Panatag Shoal.
In an advisory, SC Clerk of Court Edgar O. Aricheta said parties shall limit their presentation for oral arguments on specific procedural and substantive issues identified by the court.
First among the substantive issues ordered by the court to be taken up by the parties is whether the issuance of a writ of kalikasan is the proper remedy for the enforcement of Philippine environmental laws against foreign nationals in the shoals and reefs or is the remedy political or diplomatic in nature...