BY GERARD NAVAL

SEN. Miriam Defensor-Santiago lost her bid for a seat at the International Court of Justice yesterday as she was edged out by Somalia’s Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.

Ambassador Hilario Davide, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs voting members felt the need for an African representative at the Netherlands-based court.

"In the end, it was regional representation and not gender balance that determined the final outcome… Member-States felt that Africa somehow needed to be represented there at The Hague since Asia was already able to secure a seat with the reelection of Jordan in the first round," Davide said.

Based on the ICJ voting rules, five seats will be contested via votes of the UN member-states in several rounds until a candidate clinches an "absolute majority" of the votes.

Christopher Greenwood of the United Kingdom, Ronny Abraham of France, Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade of Brazil and re-electionist Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh of Jordan were elected during the first round of balloting of the 15-member Security Council and the 192-member General Assembly.

Yusuf was elected in the fourth and final round of balloting.

According to Davide, Santiago emerged in the top five in the first round of balloting in the General Assembly but was not able to muster enough votes in the Security Council.

The International Court of Justice is composed of 15 judges who are elected for a nine-year term. To ensure continuity, five seats are elected every three years.

The Philippines had strongly hoped to win a seat in the ICJ. The last Filipino who served in the ICJ was former Supreme Court Justice Cesar Bengzon, whose term ended in 1976.

Abraham and al-Khasawneh are already currently serving on the ICJ. Their terms expire February 5.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza took a positive view of Santiago’s defeat.