MANILA – The Senate has sought the clarification of the Supreme Court whether their concurrence is not needed in the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States.
The clarification with the high court was made after 12 senators voted for the Senate Resolution 337, sponsored in the plenary by Senate President Vicente Sotto III on late Monday evening.
Sotto said the resolution would not, in any way, dictate or impose anything on the Supreme Court and it should also not be viewed as going against President Rodrigo Duterte.
“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 that 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,” the Ilonggo senator 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.
The Philippine government, upon the order of President Duterte, has sent the notice of termination of the VFA which governs the conduct of visiting US personnel holding military exercises in the Philippines./PN
