Santiago: Where is VFA review report?

MANILA, Philippines—The review of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) should be released by the Executive, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago told Radyo Inquirer 990AM Thursday.

Senator Miriam Santiago lead the probe into the slay of Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude at the Senate on Wednesday. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

A day after she presided over a hearing of the Senate committee on foreign relations, Santiago said it was about time that the people see the report on the VFA review, which started after President Benigno Aquino III took office in 2010.

“Kaya dapat hingan natin ng report ‘yang VFA review panel na ‘yan (That’s why we should ask for the VFA review report by that panel),” she said after discussing the murder of Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude allegedly by American Private 1st Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, which had again raised debates on contentious provisions of the agreement.

Santiago said the review seemed to have been taken up just to silence critics.

“Pero hanggang ngayon walang balita kung talagang nagrereview sila o pinabayaan na lang… Hanggang salita na lang,” she said.

(Until now we haven’t heard any update if there really was a review or if it had been abandoned…Just talk.)

The senator said the Philippines can easily abrogate the VFA and give Americans six months’ notice because it promotes unequal treatment of Filipinos and Americans.

She also complained of the special treatment given to Pemberton, whom she said is now “detained” at an air-conditioned office in Camp Aguinaldo.

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