ARIGO vs. SWIFT G.R. No. 206510 735 SCRA 102, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 EN BANC VILLARAMA, JR., J.:
Facts: In 2013, th !SS G"#$%&#n o' th !S N#() $#n #*$o"n% on #n #$# n#$ th T"++#t#h# R', # -#$&n h#+&t#t o' h&/h nt$) #n% /$t#&n h"-#n #/t&(&t& #$ $(nt% #n% #''o$%% $ot/t&on +) # Ph&&&n #. Th *$o"n%&n* &n/&%nt $o-t% th t&t&on$ to 'o$ &"#n/ o' $&t o' #&##n &th TEP '$o- th SC. A-on* A-on* tho tho &-# &-#%% %% #$ #$ !S o''&/& o''&/&# # &n th&$ th&$ /##/& /##/&t) t) # /o--# /o--#n%& n%&n* n* o''&/ o''&/$ $ o' th !S N#() N#(). A t&t&on$ #$*"%, th) $ &-#%% +/#" th$ # # #&($ o' &--"n&t) '$o- "&t +tn !S #n% P "$"#nt to th VA t$-. Pt&t&on$ /#&-% th#t th *$o"n%&n*, #(#*&n* #n% ot8#(#*&n* o$#t&on o' th !SS G"#$%&#n (&o#t% th&$ /ont&t"t&on# $&*ht to # +##n/% #n% h#th'" /oo*) &n/ th (nt /#"% #n% /ont&n" to /#" n(&$on-nt# %#-#* o' "/h -#*n&t"% # to #''/t oth$ $o(&n/ "$$o"n%&n* th T"++#t#h# T"++#t#h# R'. A&% '$o- %#-#*, th) o"*ht # %&$/t&( '$o- th SC ' o$ th &nt&t"t&on o' /&(&, #%-&n&t$#t&( #n% /$&-&n# "&t 'o$ #/t /o--&tt% /o--&tt% &n (&o#t&on (&o#t&on o' n(&$onn(&$on-nt# nt# # #n% $*"#t&on $*"#t&on &n /onn/t&o /onn/t&on n &th th *$o"n%&n* *$o"n%&n* &n/&%nt. Th) #o $#)% $#)% 'o$ th #nn"-nt o' o- VA $o(&&on 'o$ +&n* "n/ont&t"t&on#. Issue 1: W/N the US Government has given its consent to be sue through the !FA No. Th No. Th *n$# $" on t#t9 &--"n&t) '$o- "&t #& &n th& /#. &$t, #n) #&($ o' St#t &--"n&t) "n%$ th VA $t#&n on) to criminal jurisdiction #n% jurisdiction #n% not to /&# /&(& #/t&on #/t&on "/h "/h # 'o$ th &"#n &"#n/ / o' th $&t $&t o' #&# #&##n #n.. n/, n/, /ont$ /ont$#$ #$) ) to t&t& t&t&on on$ $99 /#&-, /#&-, th !S *o($n-nt /o"% not + %-% to h#( #&(% &t &--"n&t) '$o- "&t. S/on%, th !S $on%nt $ "% &n th&$ o''&/&# /##/&t) # /o--#n%&n* o''&/$ o' th !S N#() ho h#( /ont$o #n% "$(&&on o($ th !SS G"#$%&#n #n% &t /$. S&n/ th #t&'#/t&on o' #n) "%*-nt #*#&nt th o''&/&# o"% $;"&$ $-%&# #/t&on #n% th #$o$&#t&on o' '"n% +) th !S *o($n-nt, th "&t & %-% to + on #*#&nt th !S &t'. Th", th $&n/& o' St#t I--"n&t) < &n /o$$#t&on &th th $&n/& o' St#t # o($&*n ;"# =#$ &n #$- non h#+t non &-$&"-> < +#$ th ?$/& o' "$&%&/t&on +) th /o"$t /o"$t o($ th&$ $on. $on. Issue Issue ": W/N the US governmen governmentt ma# sti$$ be he$ $iab$e $iab$e %or amages amages cause cause to the Tubbataha Tubbataha Ree%s &es. Th !S *o($n-nt & &#+ 'o$ %#-#* &n $#t&on to th *$o"n%&n* &n/&%nt "n%$ th /"to-#$) # o' n#(&*#t&on. Th /on%"/t o' th !S &n th& /#, hn &t #$h& nt$% # $t$&/t% #$# &n (&o#t&on o' RA 10067 #n% /#"% %#-#* to th TRNP $' )t-, +$&n* th -#tt$ &th&n th #-+&t o' A$t&/ 31 o' th !NCLS. h& h&to$&/#), #$h& #$h& no) o($&*n o($&*n &--"n&t) '$o- "&t # ?tn&on o' th&$ '#* St#t, A$t. 31 o' th !NCLS /$#t #n ?/t&on to th& $" &n /# h$ th) '#& to /o-) &th th $" #n% $*"#t&on o' th /o#t# St#t $*#$%&n* ##* th$o"*h th #tt$9 &nt$n# #t$ #n% th t$$&to$&# #.
Atho"*h th !S to %#t h# not $#t&'&% th !NCLS, # # -#tt$ o' on*8t#n%&n* o&/), th US considers itself bound by customary international rules on the “traditional uses of the oceans”, which is codified in UNCLOS. A to th non8$#t&'&/#t&on +) th !S, &t -"t + not% th#t th !S9 $'"# to o&n th !NCLS # /nt$% on &t %&#*$-nt &th !NCLS9 $*&- o' % #+% -&n&n* @P#$t I h&/h /on&%$ th o/#n #n% % #+% /o--on) on% +) -#n&n%. S"/h h# noth&n* to %o &th th #//t#n/ +) th !S o' /"to-#$) &nt$n#t&on# $" on n #(&*#t&on. @J"t&/ C#$&o n/, non8--+$h& &n th !NCLS %o not -#n th#t th !S & %&$*#$% th $&*ht o' th Ph&&&n # # Co#t# St#t o($ &t &nt$n# #t$ #n% t$$&to$&# #. It & th" ?/t% o' th !S to +#$ =&nt$n#t&on# $on&+&&t)> "n%$ A$t. 31 &n /onn/t&on &th th !SS G"#$%&#n *$o"n%&n* h&/h #%($) #''/t% th T"++#t#h# $'. Other Issues '$aim %or (amages 'ause b# !io$ation o% )nvironmenta$ *a+s ,ust be Fi$e Se-arate$# Th &n(o/#t&on o' !S '%$# to$t # #n% (n /o--on # & &-$o$ /on&%$&n* th#t &t & th VA h&/h *o($n %&"t &n(o(&n* !S -&&t#$) h& #n% /$ n#(&*#t&n* Ph&&&n #t$ &n "$"#n/ o' th o+/t&( o' th #*$-nt. A &t &, th #&($ o' St#t &--"n&t) "n%$ th VA $t#&n on) to criminal jurisdiction #n% not to /&# /&(& #/t&on. S&n/ "$&%&/t&on /#nnot + h#% o($ th $on%nt 'o$ +&n* &--"n% '$o- "&t, th$ & no #) %#-#* h&/h $"t% '$o- (&o#t&on o' n(&$on-nt# # /o"% + ##$%% to t&t&on$. In #n) /#, th Rules on rit of !ali"asan $o(&% th#t # /$&-&n# /# #*#&nt # $on /h#$*% &th # (&o#t&on o' #n n(&$on-nt# # & to + '&% #$#t). n/, # $"&n* on th #&/#t&on o$ non8#&/#t&on o' /$&-&n# "$&%&/t&on $o(&&on o' th VA to # !S $onn ho -#) + 'o"n% $on&+ 'o$ th *$o"n%&n* o' th !SS G"#$%&#n, o"% + $-#t"$ #n% +)on% th $o(&n/ o' # t&t&on 'o$ # $&t o' #&##n. 'ha$$enging the 'onstitutiona$it# o% a Treat# !ia a etition %or the Issuance o% Writ o% a$i0asan is Not ro-er Th VA # %") /on/"$$% &n +) th Ph&&&n Sn#t #n% h# +n $/o*n&D% # # t$#t) +) th !S # #ttt% #n% /$t&'&% +) th %") #"tho$&D% $$nt#t&( o' th !S *o($n-nt. Th VA +&n* # (#&% #n% +&n%&n* #*$-nt, th #$t& #$ $;"&$% # # -#tt$ o' &nt$n#t&on# # to #+&% +) &t t$- #n% $o(&&on. A t&t&on "n%$ th Rules on rit of !ali"asan & not th $o$ $-%) to ##& th /ont&t"t&on#&t) o' &t $o(&&on.
