At least 13 senators, mostly allied with the Aquino administration, rejected the joint resolution filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Akbayan partylist Rep. Walden Bello to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), supporting instead its review.
Thirteen was also the number of senators who made the historic decision to scrap the Philippines-United States Military Bases Agreement. The current call to do away with the VFA came following the murder of transgender Filipino woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude” allegedly by an American serviceman.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said he is not in favor of the abrogation of the VFA but agreed that the 1999 treaty need to be reviewed.
“I’m not in favor of abrogation. At the very least, review. But I’m not in favor of abrogation,” Drilon said.
The other senators who supported a review and not the scrapping of the agreement are: Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Cynthia Villar, Paolo Benigno Aquino, Grace Poe, Sergio Osmeña III, Pia Cayetano, Acting Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, JV Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Aquilino Pimentel III, Nancy Binay, and Sen. Loren Legarda.
Only Sen. Teofisto Guingona III supported Santiago’s call for its abrogation.
‘Serve notice of VFA termination’
In the joint resolution, Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, and Bello sought to terminate the VFA with the US.
It also directed Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to serve the notice of termination of the VFA to the United States.
Aside from the inequity of the VFA on the jurisdiction and custody over US servicemen who have committed crimes within the Philippine territory, the joint resolution also called for its termination due to its unfavorable effect to the country’s sovereignty, environment, and human rights record.
It enumerated the following controversies involving US military forces in the country:
- In 2012, Glen Defense Marine Asia, a US Navy contractor, was investigated for allegedly dumping hazardous wastes in Subic Bay.
- In 2013, the USS Guardian ran aground the Tubbataha Reefs, causing massive damage to the Reefs.
- On 11 October 2014, transwoman Jennifer Laude died in an Olongapo City motel, allegedly in the hands of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, for which Pemberton is currently facing a murder charge before the Olongapo City prosecutor’s office.
The cases show that the VFA is used to shield transgressions made by US military on Philippine soil, seriously infringing on the country’s ability to prosecute these criminal acts, it said.
On the claim that the country needs the VFA against China, Santiago said, “The VFA does not imply that the US will come to our aid, in case of a fire fight with China over the West Philippine Sea. On the contrary, in 2013, then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the US would be neutral.”
Historic Senate rejection
On 16 September 1991, the Senate rejected the proposed Philippines-US Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security that sought to extend the US bases in Clark and Subic to 10 more years.
Subsequently, the Military Bases Agreement was terminated on 21 December 1992 when the 25-year tenure lapsed, prompting the US to vacate its bases by the end 1992.
After the US turned over the military bases, the government transformed them into economic zones spearheaded by the Bases Conversion Development Authority, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and the Clark Development Corporation.
The government however restored American military presence in the country through joint military exercises called Balikatan contained in the VFA ratified by the Senate on 27 May 1999.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/98081/13-senators-want-vfa-review-not-rejection
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