The Senate might make necessary amendments on the provisions of the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States once the Supreme Court favors its authority to assert its power on the said pact before it officially ends.
Since “majority of the Senate are not in favor” of the Philippines’ termination of the VFA with the US, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said, they will more likely review the agreement’s provisions and only make amendments, if needed, in order to address various concerns.
“(We might look at its) justice system,” Sotto said during a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday after he was asked what provision might need to be reviewed.
“Kasi meron doong provision na kapag ang isang sundalo ng isang bansa ay may ginawang krimen or lumabag sa batas ng bansa na kinalalagyan nya, at ito ay ginawa nya (while) in his official mission, ang mananagot is bansa nya.
Pero kapag ginawa nya ito nang hindi nasa official mission, dito lang papasok ang (authority ng) bansa (kung nasaan sya),” he noted.
Sotto said that he “is not yet ready” whether he agrees or not with the said provision.
With only around 160 days before the pact officially ends, he said, what is more important now is “for the Senate to be given a chance to review the VFA, so it could act immediately.”
“The important thing is we will be able to review it. ‘Di naman (ito) chance to open the conflict again… (but to) discuss about it,” the Senate President said.
“Any of the issue that we might be worried about would already be resolved,” he added.
On Monday, the Senate will file a petition before the SC to assert its power before abrogation of any treaties. With this, he also expressed hopes that “the Congress should be [already] involved in the drafting” of the VFA, as currently, it is only the executive department that has the authority.
“We have petition ready by Monday. After the Senate agrees or disagrees on a resolution concerning this ratification power, we will be filing the petition for a declaratory relief in mandamus,” he said. (Joseph Pedrajas)
