Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said the upper chamber is not “bound” by the deadline set by the President on the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippine and the United States.
Last January 23, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the US government 30 days to rectify the visa cancellation of his political ally Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa or he will abrogate the two-decades-old military accord.
“Hindi na ako bound dun. Hindi na kami bound dun…Ang executive branch, they can do what they want to do kasi independent naman kami sa isa’t isa,” he said in an interview with reporters on Friday.
(I’m not bound by that. We are not bound by that… the executive branch, they can do what they want to do because we are independent.)
“Kapag umabot [ang] deadline, wala na akong magawa, may self-imposed deadline kayo eh [If it reaches its deadline, I can’t do anything about that, they have a self-imposed deadline],” he added.
Pimentel said majority of the senators favor the need to review the VFA.
The VFA, which took effect in 1999, covers the conduct of visiting American soldiers in the Philippines and serves as a foundation for military exercises between the Philippines and the US.
“Para sa akin ang magandang middle ground is yung mismong suggestion ni (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Teodoro) Locsin Jr. Ako nga review lang, (yung) sa kaniya vigorous review. E ‘di maganda ‘yun, which we started na,” Pimentel, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said.
(For me the best middle ground is the suggestion of Secretary Locsin. Actually for me I only want a review, for him he wants vigorous review. That is better.)
“Yung majority ng Senate is for the review. I-review na yan. Tamang tama naumpisahan na…The hearing yesterday was the start of the review by (the Senate foreign relations committee),” he added.
(Majority of the Senate is for the review. Review that. It has started…)
He said a review would give the Senate a chance to look into what seems to be an “unequal” treatment of Philippine and US soldiers.
“At first glance, hindi talaga equal terms natin with the US forces. Kapag sinabi nating VFA, tayo we look at the VFA na in-approve ng Senado,” he said.
(It is really not on equal terms.)
“But there is a counterpart ng VFA na hindi in-approve ng Senado kasi hindi naman yan nangyari sa Philippine territory, kundi sa US territory. Yung status naman ng visiting Philippine forces sa Amerika,” he added.
(The Senate did not approve it because it did not happen on Philippine territory, but on US territory. But the status of the visiting Philippine forces in America.)
Pimentel explained that there seems to be unequal treatment of US military personnel under the VFA approved by senators here in comparison to treatment received by Philippine forces under the counterpart agreement approved in the United States.
“Yung ginawang comparison ni Senator (Grace) Poe, nakita natin dun, yung in-approve ng Senado at yung in-approve ng US authorities para sa Philippine military, ang layo ng treatment,” he said.
(The comparison of Senator Poe, we’ve seen it there, the one approved by the Senate and the one approved by the US authorities for the Philippine military, there is a huge difference in terms of treatment.)
“So yun na lang eh…We are being treated as unequal by the US, unequal sovereign ‘di ba?” he added.
Improved VFA
Pimentel said the VFA between the Philippines and US could be patterned from the similar accord the country has with Australia.
“Meron tayong basehan [We have a basis] of an improved VFA which is our VFA with Australia na pantay talaga ang treatment [the treatment is fair]. Kung paano itrato ang treatment ang Australian military na nasa Pilpinas ganun din ang treatmnet ng Philippine military sa Australia [How the Australian military treats the agreement, it’s the same with the Philippines],” he said.
Asked if Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. issued a commitment to the Senate not to issue a formal notice to Washington on the termination of the VFA while it is being reviewed, Pimentel said: No. Locsin will follow only (the President) and instructions to be relayed to him in person.