Indonesian security forces cannot help in the ongoing
search-and-rescue operations for its 10 nationals who were reportedly kidnapped
by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits while passing off Tawi-Tawi over the weekend.
"Per our constitution, we do not allow military forces
here without a treaty," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.
He was referring to Article XVIII, Section 25 of the 1987
Constitution which explicitly prohibits foreign military bases in the Philippines
It also states that “foreign military bases, troops, or
facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly
concurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a
majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that
purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.”
Padilla made this statement after Indonesia
He also said the AFP is quite capable of locating and
rescuing the victims.
The victims were aboard the Brahma-12, also an
Indonesian-owned tugboat, along with a sister vessel, was towing a barge laden
with 7,000 tons of coal, when allegedly attacked by the bandits over the
weekend.
It was en route from Puting river in Banjarmasin
in Indonesia 's South
Kalimantan province to the Batangas in the Philippines
Local authorities found Brahma-12 abandoned off Languyan Island
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=871434
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