Sotto, Lacson, Drilon file reso urging Duterte to reconsider VFA abrogation

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday led two other senators in urging President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. 

In Senate Resolution 312 filed by Sotto, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo Lacson, the chamber requests the President to reconsider his planned abrogation of the VFA while the Senate is conducting a review and impact assessment of the agreement.

They said this is to ensure the continued safety and security of the Philippines and the Asia Pacific and maintain the existing balance of power within the region.

The Senate foreign relations committee, headed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, is set to conduct a hearing on the VFA on Thursday.

In their resolution, the three senators noted that Duterte had threatened to abrogate the agreement in response to the cancellation of the US visa of Senator Ronald dela Rosa and other events involving the country’s national integrity and sovereignty aggravated by alleged ‘series of disrespectful actions’ of the US.

They concede that the President, by constitutional fiat and nature of his office, is the sole organ and authority in the external affairs of the country being its chief architect of foreign policy.

Fully recognizing the authority of Duterte and without intending to disrespect a co-equal body, prior to unilaterally terminating the VFA, the senators said they should be given the opportunity to conduct a review and assessment of the impact of the withdrawal on the country’s security, and economy, specifically  with regard to intelligence information sharing, military aid, and financing, and technical assistance extended by the US relative to continuing threats posted by domestic and foreign terrorist groups.

“As a policymaking body, the Senate should likewise give its view and opinion on the repercussions that the said unilateral withdrawal will entail to the existing MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty) and EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) with the United States of America,” they said.

They added a careful deliberation of the matter must be taken into account before finally arriving at a decision which would affect not only the security and economy of the Philippines but also the neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific Region.

The resolution has to be tackled and adopted on the floor before it can be considered as an official resolution of the Senate. — RSJ, GMA News