Visit to US Embassy softens up VFA committee
The Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement on Thursday softened its stand against the abrogation of the VFA after meeting at the US Embassy with US officials and with the four US Marines accused of raping a Filipina in November.
The committee relaxed its hard-line attitude toward the VFA after US officials and the committee agreed that the agreement would be renegotiated after the rape trial ends.
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, cochairman of the committee with Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco, said the panel now fully supports the initiative of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo in discussing the custody issue “in the spirit of mutual interest and dialogue.”
“Congress is willing to give Secretary Romulo a short period, perhaps six months, to dialogue with the US government,” Santiago said.
The refusal of the US Embassy to turn over custody of the accused Americans to the Olongapo City court hearing the case prompted the committee to call for the immediate scrapping of the VFA, which governs the treatment of US servicemen taking part in training exercises in the Philippines.
Santiago said she will file a resolution in the Senate and Cuenco in the House to pave the way for the abrogation of the agreement.
The VFA will remain in force within 60 days from notice of its termination. After that, it is considered scrapped and renegotiation will start.
Short dialogue period
Santiago said the US Embassy should not prolong the period for dialogue with the DFA on the excuse that it needs decisions from the State Department.
“That is mere foot-dragging. Respect for an ally like the Philippines dictates that the VFA should be renegotiated to grant automatic custody to the host country, like the US agreements with Japan and Korea,” she said.
The Philippines, unlike Japan and Korea, does not host any US military base and so, has no status of forces agreement with the US. Santiago said, however, the absence of such an agreement is not an acceptable excuse for refusing the host country custody of the accused Marines.
“The rule in international law is that any foreigner takes the legal system of the country as he finds it. Philippine jails that are good enough for Filipinos should be good enough for foreigners,” Santiago said.
Outrage at rape
She said the rape case had caused national outrage and she described the VFA as an “archaic product of extraterritoriality which is no longer recognized internationally.”
Cuenco said the Philippines can do nothing else at the moment but to dialogue for the custody of the Marines from the US Embassy.
“We cannot invade the US Embassy. We only hope that when the Marines are required to appear in court, the US will abide by the treaty. Without arraignment, the court cannot acquire jurisdiction over them,” Cuenco said. --Efren L. Danao -Manila Times
The committee relaxed its hard-line attitude toward the VFA after US officials and the committee agreed that the agreement would be renegotiated after the rape trial ends.
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, cochairman of the committee with Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco, said the panel now fully supports the initiative of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo in discussing the custody issue “in the spirit of mutual interest and dialogue.”
“Congress is willing to give Secretary Romulo a short period, perhaps six months, to dialogue with the US government,” Santiago said.
The refusal of the US Embassy to turn over custody of the accused Americans to the Olongapo City court hearing the case prompted the committee to call for the immediate scrapping of the VFA, which governs the treatment of US servicemen taking part in training exercises in the Philippines.
Santiago said she will file a resolution in the Senate and Cuenco in the House to pave the way for the abrogation of the agreement.
The VFA will remain in force within 60 days from notice of its termination. After that, it is considered scrapped and renegotiation will start.
Short dialogue period
Santiago said the US Embassy should not prolong the period for dialogue with the DFA on the excuse that it needs decisions from the State Department.
“That is mere foot-dragging. Respect for an ally like the Philippines dictates that the VFA should be renegotiated to grant automatic custody to the host country, like the US agreements with Japan and Korea,” she said.
The Philippines, unlike Japan and Korea, does not host any US military base and so, has no status of forces agreement with the US. Santiago said, however, the absence of such an agreement is not an acceptable excuse for refusing the host country custody of the accused Marines.
“The rule in international law is that any foreigner takes the legal system of the country as he finds it. Philippine jails that are good enough for Filipinos should be good enough for foreigners,” Santiago said.
Outrage at rape
She said the rape case had caused national outrage and she described the VFA as an “archaic product of extraterritoriality which is no longer recognized internationally.”
Cuenco said the Philippines can do nothing else at the moment but to dialogue for the custody of the Marines from the US Embassy.
“We cannot invade the US Embassy. We only hope that when the Marines are required to appear in court, the US will abide by the treaty. Without arraignment, the court cannot acquire jurisdiction over them,” Cuenco said. --Efren L. Danao -Manila Times
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
9:49 AM
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