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Senate adopts reso asking SC to clarify its role on VFA abrogation


The Senate adopted Monday a resolution asking the Supreme Court to rule whether  the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States needs Senate concurrence.

A total of 12 senators voted in favor of Senate Resolution 337, sponsored in the plenary by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, while seven senators abstained. No senator voted against the resolution.

Those who voted abstained were Senators Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa,  Christopher "Bong Go," Imee Marcos,  Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino, and Cynthia Villar.

"Kanina ko pa hinahalungkat ang Saligang Batas, wala ho akong nakita rito na kasama ang Senado sa pag-abrogate ng isang tratado... I stick to the proposition of the separation of powers," Tolentino said.

"Out of respect for the executive branch, lalong lalo na kung ang lalabas sa petition for declaratory relief is 'The Senate of the Philippines versus President Rodrigo Duterte or Senate of the Philippines versus Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea representing the President of the Philippines,' palagay ko po ito ay hindi karapat-dapat sa pagkakataong ito dahil nakikita po natin na kailangan ng Pangulo ang tulong ng Senado," he added.

Sotto, on the other hand, stressed that the resolution would not in any way dictate or impose anything on the Supreme Court.  It should not also be viewed as a move against President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered the scrapping of the two-decade-old pact.

"The case or the issue at hand is no doubt [that] the Constitutional question has to be raised once and for all because it has serious effects on the Philippine international rights and obligations and it will have an effect on the Philippine legal system," Sotto said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he was "saddened" that the Senate cannot get a unanimous vote on a resolution which merely seeks to clarify the Constitutional boundaries of the chamber.

"All that what we're asking the Supreme Court is to define our Constitutional boundaries, nothing else. We are not dictating the Supreme Court. We are in fact asking the Supreme Court to rule on the decision," he said.

"The Supreme Court may rule that the Senate's concurrence is not necessary and that settles the issue. If the Supreme Court rules that Senate concurrence is necessary, again that settles the issue," he added.

Last month, the Philippine government, upon the order of Duterte, sent the notice of termination of the VFA which governs the conduct of visiting US personnel holding military exercises in the Philippines. —AOL/LDF, GMA News

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