MANILA – Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida announced the creation of a dedicated maritime law unit within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to centralize legal expertise on the South China Sea arbitral ruling and the law of the sea.

In a media interview, Vida said the new unit will serve as the department’s “single repository” of legal knowledge to help preserve and build on the gains from the landmark arbitral decision.

“Actually, to maintain and sustain the gains from the arbitral award, the DOJ now has a dedicated unit for legal services natin to be a source of expertise on this matter,” Vida said.

“Parang maritime law center, na tayong binuo dito sa Department of Justice para meron na tayong single repository ng(It is like the maritime law center that we established here at the Department of Justice, so that we have a single repository of) expertise on this matter.”

Under the DOJ, the Office of the Chief State Counsel, headed by Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan, is responsible for matters involving international agreements, treaties and the enforcement of the 2016 Arbitral Award. Senior State Counsel Atty. Fretti Ganchoon serves as the department’s lead maritime expert.

Vida underscored the importance of raising public awareness as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on Sunday. The decision invalidated China’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim over the South China Sea.

“It was a decision which really confirmed the first position that we took over there. And the Philippines actually protecting our Filipino fisherfolk. But of course, the decision to award is not simply executed. You need to fight for our rights,” Vida said.

“Pero patuloy pa rin para ang diwa kasi nitong desisyon na ‘to ay hindi lamang para sa ating henerasyon, lalo na sa mga susunod na henerasyon (But the work continues, because the essence of this decision is not just for our generation, but especially for future generations),” he added.

Also on Sunday, Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe said safeguarding the West Philippine Sea requires a collective effort.

“No one institution protects the West Philippine Sea alone,” she said.

“The Award affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone and recognized the traditional fishing rights of Filipino fishermen at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), ensuring that these rights are protected under international law.”

Berberabe added that the arbitral ruling provided “legal certainty that our maritime resources belong to the Filipino people.”