EDCA deterred sea disputes—Gazmin

From the Manila Standard Today (Dec 2): EDCA deterred sea disputes—Gazmin

BEIJING stopped harassing Filipino ships in disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea after the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between Manila and Washington, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin claimed before a Senate committee on Monday.

Gazmin made the claim even as Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago argued that the failure of the Aquino administration to submit the EDCA to the Senate for ratification diminishes its legislative power, although she admitted that President Benigno Aquino III cannot be forced to submit the agreement for ratification.

Gazmin, during his testimony, said the EDCA served as “a deterrent” against external security threats, such as those presented by China.

“Right now, we use EDCA as a deterrent to threats to our security. As we continue using the EDCA, we continue to fill the gap [of our Armed Forces] through our modernization program,” Gazmin said during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the EDCA.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. questioned the deterrence factor since the agreements the Philippines have with the United States do not really guarantee US assistance if the country  is dragged into a war with another country.

“Why will an aggressive power be afraid to attack us?” Marcos said, but Gazmin insisted that the deterrence effect has already emerged in recent events.

“The deterrence is already happening,” Gazmin said. “As you see, we are no longer being attacked when we resupply our troops at Ayungin Shoal.”

Santiago, meanwhile, said she would file a resolution that will force Senate to take a position on the new Philippine-US deal allowing the US military to construct facilities and preposition defense assets inside Philippine military bases.

“I will first draft it and then circulate it for signatures of my colleagues and then I will present it in the form of sponsoring speech and then we’ll have a plenary debate on it,” she said.

Santiago said the Senate will pass a resolution expressing its “collective wisdom” on the country’s EDCA with the United States.

“We will pass a resolution to express the sense of the Senate about the failure of the President to endorse the EDCA to the Senate for concurrence in ratification,” she  also said   in a media briefing after her foreign affairs committee conducted a hearing on EDCA.

She noted that some senators are extremely disappointed after the Executive snubbed the Senate when it entered into the agreement.

“Basically, I think the sentiment is widespread that the Senate does not feel happy that its constitutionally accepted powers such as ratification of a treaty was short-circuited by the Executive branch in connection to EDCA. They did it behind their backs. They were not open about the process,” she said.

She cited Article 7, Section 21 of the Constitution, which states, “No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.”

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/12/02/edca-deterred-sea-disputes-gazmin/