Add'l rotational presence of US military is national policy and not security threat, Rep. Biazon says

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5): Add'l rotational presence of US military is national policy and not security threat, Rep. Biazon says

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon on Thursday cautioned the House Appropriations Committee not to approve the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to an executive session to divulge the progress of additional rotational presence of the United States military presence.

Biazon, chairman of the House committee on National Defense and Security said that executive session is not granted by any individual but it is being decided by the committee as a whole.

“We want first to hear from DFA what are the reasons why they are asking for an executive session with Congressmen. Mr. Chairman, they (DFA) should lay first the reasons and must convince the committee that their information have something to do with national security,” Biazon told the committee Vice Chairman Emil Ong, who already committed to DFA that they will guarantee the executive session.

Rep. Ong is already asking members of the committee to register their names if they are interested to join the executive session.

The veteran legislator reminded the committee not to railroad the request until after the DFA can prove that there is a need because national security is at stake.

This started when Biazon asked the DFA panel that is making a budget presentation at the House of Representatives to identify some salient agreements that they have entered into or about to enter with the US government on the issue of additional rotational presence of US military in the country.

DFA Assistant Sec. King Soreta refused to give details but he failed to lay down the predicates that there is such a need of executive session.

After Biazon explained that executive session should be approved by the committee and not by any individual, Ong immediately rephrase his statement and claimed that executive session will happen only after the committee approval.

Soreta cannot answer Biazon who is asking if there is a change in national policy because US soldiers can have access to the former bases in the country such as Clark and Subic.

He said that the public is entitled to know the details of the agreement since DFA is claiming that it is not a treaty and does not need Senate concurrence.

Biazon reminded the DFA panel that he sees no security threat on the agreement and “this is just a plain national policy.”

He even cited that treaties should be made if the agreement is permanent, political in nature and there is a change of national policies.

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