BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Two senators – Franklin Drilon and Antonio Trillanes IV – urged those who question the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) to bring the issue before the Supreme Court (SC).
Drilon said the SC will determine whether the defense pact between the Philippines and the United States would still require concurrence of the Senate, or is an executive agreement.
Drilon, the Senate president, said it depends on the executive branch if it will send to the Senate the agreement for ratification.
The Ilonggo senator said he has yet to receive a copy of the defense pact. He said he only read the “Frequently Asked Questions” with regards the EDCA published in newspapers.
Drilon also said he expects the appropriate Senate committee to conduct a public hearing on the EDCA.
“Inevitably, there will be questions to which the responses will require an executive session as it will touch on matters pertaining to national security,” said Drilon.
But the senator said it will still depend upon the committee to whether an executive session would be conducted.
For his part, Trillanes, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said “anybody” who has “questionable issues” may raise such before the high court.
Trillanes said he is “satisfied” with the agreement and that “we were apprised at every turn” of the negotiations.
There was enough transparency in the signing of the EDCA, the senator added.
He said Drilon has invited him and other senators for a “briefing” on the EDCA “within this week.”
Former senator Joker Arroyo, on one hand, claimed that the Aquino administration “rushed” the EDCA “as a gift to President Obama” who was in the country for two days recently.
Like Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Arroyo also questioned the legality of the agreement saying, “it was exclusively Malacañang directed.”
Meanwhile, Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Grace Poe and Bam Aquino expressed support to the new PH-US deal.
Pimentel said the EDCA will ensure the enforcement of international law in the Asian countries.
It will likewise improve our government’s effort in controlling transnational crimes like drug and human trafficking.
Poe, for her part, believed EDCA are but “supplemental details” under the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The newbie senator, however, recommended that the agreement be published for public scrutiny.
The Senate Oversight Committee on VFA should also assess whether the new agreement is within the limits of the original VFA, she said.
Sen. Aquino, for his part, said the agreement is “in line with the Constitution” and will benefit both the PH and the US.
Early this week, Santiago said the EDCA will only “further antagonize” the Philippines’ relations with China over their territorial disputes.
A constitutional law expert, Santiago insisted the pact should have been submitted first to the Senate for concurrence, and signed by two Presidents./PN
