Senate panel to subpoena DND execs who skipped One-China policy hearing

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will summon officials from the Department of National Defense (DND) who failed to attend the hearing into the status of the Philippines’ One-China Policy.

Panel vice chairperson Senator Erwin Tulfo made the motion after no DND official came to the hearing to answer questions on how the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the One-China Policy will come into play should conflict escalate in the Pacific between China and the US over Taiwan. 

Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the committee, approved the motion after no senator objected. She said she will forward it to the office of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero immediately for issuance of the proper subpoena to the DND officials.

Based on the guest list of the committee, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was invited as a resource person in the hearing, but he did not attend nor was represented by anyone from the DND. 

GMA News Online has reached out to the DND regarding the matter and will update this story once the agency responds.

Taiwan Strait conflict

Marcos asked during the hearing if the Philippines will be in breach of its treaty obligations under the MDT if it refuses to lend aid to the US in case of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, considering that the Philippines also adheres to the One-China Policy.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro tried to answer the questions, but stressed that it is an operational issue and would be best answered by the DND. 

“Your question is ... may be rhetorical, it may be a possibility, but it is not automatic. My knowledge of MDT, it’s a process that will be employed…one is a discussion between the two governments—the Philippines and the US—and that will be on operation and ministerial levels,” Lazaro said. 

“Of course, there is also the Congress, the congressional approval. So it is not as if we can just invoke,” she added. 

Lazaro, however, reaffirmed during the same hearing the Philippines’ adherence to the One-China policy, saying that the country does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Reconsider position

Meanwhile, Tulfo said “it is high time” that the Philippines rethinks its position on the One-China Policy amid China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea. 

“[It’s] because of the fact na hindi naman po ginagalang tayo [China doesn’t respect us] while we respect what they want,” the senator said. 

“What about us? What about our rights? Our rights at the West Philippine Sea? They can come in and out and wala tayong [we don’t  have any] say to the point that our personnel, our Coast Guard and Navy personnel being harassed, our fishermen driven away back to our shores,” he added. 

The Philippines is a defense treaty ally of the US, which supports Taiwan's democracy. Washington is bound by law to provide Taipei with "defensive arms" to protect itself from external threats.

Manila does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which has been separated from the Chinese mainland since 1949.

The Philippines, however, maintains a de-facto embassy in Taiwan, called the Manila Economic and Cultural Office or MECO. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News