28 September 2022, The Hague – Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya visited the Peace Palace Library and donated law books from the Philippines, including the compilation of judicial decisions of International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judge Cesar Bengzon while the latter was serving in the Supreme Court of the Philippines. General Director Erik de Baedts of the Carnegie Foundation received the donation on behalf of the Peace Palace Library, accompanied by Ms. Karin Lodder, Manager of the Peace Palace Library.
Bengzon was elected and served as ICJ Judge from 1967 to 1976. Prior to his service in The Hague, he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, from 1961 to 1966.
The books donated to the Peace Palace Library were “Book of Decisions and Resolutions of Chief Justice Cesar Fernando C. Bengzon,” Volumes I to III, and “Book of Decisions and Resolutions of Justice Florentino P. Feliciano,” Volumes I to III, both published by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on the milestone occasion of the inauguration of the ICJ Judge Cesar Bengzon Hall on 19 July at the newly renovated Chancery of the Philippine Embassy. Also turned over was “Law in the Service of Human Dignity – Essays in the Honour of Florentino Feliciano,” edited by Steve Charnovitz, Debra P. Steger and Peter van den Bossche. Feliciano was founding Member and then Chairperson of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, 1995 to 2001.
“As the resource library of the ICJ and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Peace Palace Library is the preeminent repository of the world’s legal knowledge. We hope that these books will be useful references on Philippine perspectives and developments in international law for the academia, legal research institutes, and international tribunals, and contribute to the progressive development of international law,” said Ambassador Malaya.
Ambassador Malaya also donated two books he authored, namely “Philippine Treaties in Force 2020” (with Atty. Crystal Gale P. Dampil-Mandigma), a comprehensive index to subsisting international agreements entered into by the Philippines from 1946 to 2020, and “Enhancing International Legal Cooperation: Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and Cooperation on Transnational Organized Crimes and Narcotic Drugs (Treaties, Laws and Procedure) (with Atty. Ma. Sheila Monedero-Arnesto and Atty. Ricardo V. Paras III), both published by the University of the Philippines Law Center (UPLC). A copy of the “Philippine Yearbook of International Law” (2017), published jointly by the UPLC and the Philippine Society of International Law, was also donated.
“The Carnegie Foundation is deeply grateful to Ambassador Malaya and the Embassy of the Philippines for this book donation. These publications are valuable additions to the collections of the Peace Palace Library. The books will serve as useful references, especially for the present and future young lawyer students of The Hague Academy of International Law who wish to develop expertise in the field of both public and private international law,” said General Director Baedts.
In December 2018, Ambassador Malaya, then Assistant Secretary for Treaties and Legal Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs Manila, also donated four books on treaties, international law and Philippine presidential history.
Joining Ambassador Malaya during the book donation were Consul Atty. Marianne Bringas and Legal Officer Marisar Ivy Cabatingan.
The Carnegie Foundation owns and manages the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Hague Academy of International Law. The Foundation is committed to promoting the issues of war and peace, human rights, international law and international cooperation. // END
