THE PHILIPPINE STAR i

news i THURSDAY I FEBRUARY 13,2O2O

Senate concurrence
VFA
onpuNaf
:ev eou
--
not needed
;.i,".-."-.-,....:,,.",:, , ..,",,",,.,.,.",...., ,"...-
, Th" -orr" of prqsijs.is6"k an affirmation power
Sottollf - lawmaker
.aisea itre possibiF 'time when ours need them to
ity thut some senators would be firmly and, unequivocally
from the by our side?" he aslied.
Duterte to if," Vlrii_ SC of the chamber's to Cayetano, whose mother is
lng Forces "U-!"t"
esr; me;i-(v-F;'r concur. . anAmericaq also took a swiPe
:*ith the U"ii"J Stutu, ao"J He said the senators are at Duterte's detractors who
hot need prio. .otrtuni urging Duterte to reconsider want to keep the military pact
f."ii
the Senatel until senators finish with Washinglon, despite the
' A rankins lawmaker ;,..' hiJstance
their review of the VFA and latter's supposed neglect of its
the House of" ..,.""".i"i',* make recomrnendations' Asian "brother"'
5aid this yesterdiy r;;i;i;;; sotto said he was inclined "To the critics, if we can-
"r
l-ere ptuinlne tofrl"" to support a pending resolu- not find fault with the US
""'[ti.i tion atating that Senate con- Soverrrment for always put-
,with ihe Supieme C"rlJi.sci
b""rtio*"e ih" t".-i"ri,,]i f,i currence is needed before any ting America first, then why
the Vfawijhout theii.n".,,-.- tr"uty or agreement can be take it against the President
---'-*- revoked. of the Philippines for taking a
Ience.
; Cagayan de Oro Reo. Ru6rs "I am inclined to suPPort stand for his own country and
fiodrrtuez, chairmai ;i th" i! because in this case, we people?" he said.
bonstiiutional u-""a*u.ri" thought review is proper. _ "We are in fact {ortunate
a_
'commiflee, said he We thought that we should that we have a President who
";;;i;;i.,;
SC todismiss the p";d;; i"b. have been consulted and we has fully comrnitted the gov-
filed by the senators. were giving out our sense ernment to this goal without
'"Thi President has the ex- fear or favor iowards any
that it should be-reconsidered,
clusive power Lo abros;ie fr" knowing that there are very nation. As we reflect on the
'VFA. Senate concur."?" serious im;ilications on EDCA President's decisior; we have
i,
""i @nhanced Defense- Coopera' to be better informed. We
tequired," he told I'he STAR.
' Rodriquez, u to.-." i'* tionAgr€ement) and the MDT' cannot iudge without all the
school de"an and residenrl"o"i so we thought that we should facts," he added.
u*p".tpi th" uo""", have been ionsulted but ne\L \'As a people we also need
thaL the vFa is u""*"latiJ
eiecutive ertheless, the chief arcfutect of to see and understand the
agreement and not a trealw lorer8npolicy isthe President. Visiting Forces
ag.""'n""1f;i
Iike_the Mutual Defense Treati, the buck stops wiLh
fim, so be6 what ii is. tt is "proar.i'ti
@t)thutrequiresSenatL-9"Sottosaid. \rr.h;,i"*^ir#",iil'^",'r-.l " "
concurrence tShabby treatmerrtt llnesof national interestsr'ere
.. .t" lawmaker shared " - simpfer,,, he sai j.
opinion of senators thar At the House, Soeaker
the-BY!
the decision to t"r-inull Alan Peter cuy"t"tio tuid End of MDT, EDCA
the agreement with the 15 the President considered in
*"rd t; J;;;;;;i;i';; ;; his decision tr'" veein"
-,;J"i,;-"; ';;:i:
F9' fo'mer roreisn arfairs
nation. .orntru;r " ^,
chief Albert del Roiario. the
"I appeal to the president me"t iiom ;';ly'"";;; *te vFW would
j".i fllpqins-oi
to reconsider ht; ;;";;i;il ih;-;;;;;;;l ;iil;;i
""""''l 3p;'il
EDCA''t-'"
doom ror MDr and
uurogate-the-l+Iuil;iil',*: interests.
wirt 6e inin.riciito;;;";ij "From day one, rhe presi- , ';Thi: continuing shift
security and interest. The dent WA tt.r,or"'9n policy casting
has been talking about
as-rde a long-lime
provides for US assistance in an uneven relatio"nship, ally in.favor
reliable
ilghting turro.irrn,- t;*iilii about shabby t.""i-!"i| of an aggres-
ligence gathering and in relief President Duterte is right in :1ve nerghbor lhat has been
operatio,"ns for calling for our own a"rmeJ bla.lantJv demon5traling ils
th; forces
cal"amiti;i^
country," he stressed. to grow and develoo-', lack ot respect lor interna-
"The VFA complements rhe Taguig congressman i"- tional law is incomprehen-
our Mutual Defen;e Treatv clared. srble and harmful to our
with the US, *hi.h *" "Should we not iake on the country and our people,,,
because of our conflict """1
_r,6 responsibility of defending Del Rosario said in a jtate_
Chjna over the Wesi philin_ ou ow,n nation and our peo-_ ment, appdrentlv referrine
pine Sea," Rodrisuez added. ple? is the US ready to siand to Chini - Will; Elizabetfi
by its most loyal ally, orwiltits Marcelo, Delon porcalla,
. He issued Lhi statement
after Senate president \tcente interest dictate neutrality ata MayenJaymalin

Yaace