‘US-PH lingo no laughing matter’

From the  Manila Standard Today (Aug 17): ‘US-PH lingo no laughing matter’

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Friday slammed American and Filipino officials allegedly for using words that could not be understood in a bid to circumvent a constitutional prohibition on the foreign military bases and troops in the country without the Senate’s approval.

“What is meant by rotation presence? Are they rotating? How would they rotate?” asked Santiago who drew laughter from the audience attending  the 15th Midyear Convention of the Philippine Academy for Rehabilitation Medicine at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

She rebuked the Philippine government and the United States for using imprecise words to conceal their intention.

The first round of talks between Philippine and American officials on increasing the United States’ military presence in the Philippines concluded on Monday, with the  second round scheduled to be held in Washington at the end of the month.

Santiago said some news accounts had hinted that, in order to accommodate the US request, the Department of Foreign Affairs would recommend to the President an executive agreement instead of a treaty because a treaty would require the Senate’s consent.

She said that, as chairwoman of the Senate’s foreign relations committee, she had a problem with that proposal.

She said the issue now was whether the President could enter into an executive agreement without the Senate’s concurrence.

“The Senate’s concurrence is indispensable. To the Department of Foreign Affairs, do not try any tricks. I am right here,” Santiago said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, on Friday asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense to brief the Senate on the outcome of the initial talks between the Philippines and the
United States on the proposed expansion of America’s military presence in the Philippines.

“The devil is in the details,” Drilon said.

“As a senator, it is my obligation to our people to ensure that any agreement the government will enter into is legal and in accordance with our Constitution. I will examine the outcome of the negotiations to see to it that it will not infringe on the lives of our people and their guaranteed rights.”

Drilon said the ongoing negotiations should be transparent. The Philippines’ negotiators must make sure there would be no permanent basing of American troops in the country because that would violate the Constitution.

But Drilon assured Foreign Affairs and the Defense Department of the Senate’s cooperation in the government’s aim to bolster its defense and security.

“If Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario’s claim that any activity under the framework agreement will be governed by the VFA will hold true and be carried out until a final agreement is signed, the ratification by the Senate will no longer be necessary,” Drilon said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/08/17/us-ph-lingo-no-laughing-matter/