Palawan hosts ASEAN chief justices' meeting

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – The Philippines is hosting the sixth Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting of chief magistrates in Puerto Princesa in Palawan from November 10 to 14.

The three-day ASEAN Chief Justices’ Roundtable on Environment is meant to strengthen the ties, cooperation and coordination of among the judiciaries of ASEAN member nations

The meeting, divided into three parts, will tackle the progress of ASEAN judiciaries in advancing environmental justice, emerging environmental and judicial challenges and forging the road ahead for ASEAN judicial cooperation on the environment.

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is expected to lead the meeting while the Supreme Court Associate Justices Teresita De Castro, Mariano Del Castillo, Jose Perez and Estela Perlas-Bernabe are also expected to attend the meeting.

Guam Chief Justice Robert Torres, who has Filipino roots, has already confirmed his attendance to the meeting. He will be joined by his wife, Guam Sen. Mary Camacho Torres and Supreme Court of Guam Judge Michael Bordado.

Delegates of the ASEAN meeting also include magistrates and representatives from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Asian Development Bank will send resource speakers to the meeting.

Although the meeting ends on November 13, delegates were also invited to explore Palawan, which prides itself on the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO  world heritage site.

Meanwhile, according to a report from The STAR, the Bureau of Immigration has formed a 95-member special task force to attend to the delegates.

The Philippine National Police also held several meetings to ensure security in the area .

Security Preparations on 6th ASEAN Chief Justices' Roundtable on Environment @rpio_mimaropa pic.twitter.com/CQ474mZQJo

— palawan ppo (@PalPpo) November 10, 2016

PALPCLO personnel during the preparation for the coming 6th ASEAN Chief Justices Roundtable on Environment on November 10-13, 2016. pic.twitter.com/uzwJ4YsrSa

— Palawan PCLO (@palawan_pclo) November 8, 2016

The chief justices’ roundtable on environment started in December 2010, when the ADB initiated the environmental project on the regional, subregional and national levels.

Indonesia was the first country in Southeast Asia to host the meeting.