New model for security arrangement needed - PHL panel chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 25): New model for security arrangement needed - PHL panel chief

Philippine panel head Defense undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino on Tuesday said there was a need to find a “new model for our security arrangement".

He made this statement during the second day of the 7th round of negotiations for Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement held at the Department of National Defense Building in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

During Tuesday's meeting, both panels renewed their commitment to strengthen individual and collective defense capabilities and reaffirming respect for Philippine sovereignty.

Batino added that in finding such a new security arrangement model, there was a need to ensure that “our constitutional requirements are fully observed.”

For his part, Ambassador Eric John, United States negotiating panel chair, said that he looked forward to “further talks and reaching an agreement that helps strengthen further our individual and collective defense capabilities,” even as he recognized and reaffirmed the importance of respecting Philippine sovereignty.

“The other issue we agreed on at the outset of this (negotiation) was the respect for the sovereignty of the Philippines. And that’s a message that you made very clear the very first round and that’s the message all of us took to back to Washington,” he added.

“And it is in the best spirit of respect for sovereignty and respect for long-standing partnership that we entered into these negotiations,” John said further.

Meanwhile, Batino said that he also looks forward to “productive discussions” in the spirit of equality and common respect, a genuine interest to promote mutuality of benefits and support each other’s goals and “jointly contribute to the peace and stability of our region.”

This fresh round of negotiations follows the sixth round held earlier this month in Washington, D.C. where both panels both panels went through the entire draft agreement and reached consensus on many provisions, including on the proposed accord’s preamble, purpose and scope, definition of terms, ownership of constructed infrastructure, coordination on security, contracting procedures, and resolution of disputes.

Batino emphasized that, as in the preceding six rounds, the Philippine negotiating panel is guided by the principles of full respect for Philippine sovereignty, non-permanence of US troops and no US basing in the Philippines, mutuality of benefits and respect for the Philippine Constitution, including the prohibition against nuclear weapons.”

The other members of the Philippine negotiating panel are Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and Defense Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessments Raymund Jose Quilop.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=629073