Treason raps readied vs EDCA proponents

From the Daily Tribune (May 12): Treason raps readied vs EDCA proponents

Treason charges are being prepared by various groups led by Bayan Muna in connection with the recent forging of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the United States and the Philippines.

Former Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño disclosed this during a recent forum at the Balitaan sa Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City.

He said lawyers of Bayan Muna and various organizations opposed to EDCA are already comparing notes and are in fact seriously looking to file before the Supreme Court charges of treason against those responsible for the agreement.

Casiño said they will seek the audience of SC because the Senate has yet to do something to investigate the matter when in fact there are glaring provisions in EDCA, 11 in all, that violated the Constitution of the land.

“Eleven provisions of EDCA are unconstitutional, but the Senate seemed not interested in looking into it,” Casiño said.

Not only the Constitution has been violated by the said agreement, which was not even a treaty, but also the Local Government Code and the National Telecommunications Laws, he added.

The militant leader said the EDCA provisions not only favored the US government and its forces in terms of using the bases in the country, but they have total control of the facilities they will build and the Philippine government has limited access to it.

Casiño said even private facilities if the US forces see the need for it can be utilized unhampered.

The basing of the foreign government is way beyond the control of the Philippine government because they have all the operational and use of the said facilities.

The proponents of the EDCA, particularly Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, are not interested in bringing the agreement to the Senate for scrutiny because they know the unconstitutionality of the provision can be seen.

“Basically many provisions are violative of Philippine laws and the people are not aware that the US has all the control and supervision of all the facilities they will build,” Casiño said.

To make matters worse, Casiño said the EDCA, which was supposed to be the basis by the Philippine government to be the framework of support in the event foreign incursions occur, is silent on some issues, particularly the Chinese incursion in West Philippine Sea.

Because of this, Casiño said his group will definitely petition the SC to protect the sovereignty of the country.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/treason-raps-readied-vs-edca-proponents