Despite SC decision, Marcos maintains stand on Edca

Senator Bongbong Marcos. FILE PHOTO

Despite the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. maintained on Wednesday that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between the Philippines and the United States was a treaty that must be ratified by the Senate.

Marcos was among the 14 senators, who signed a resolution expressing the stand of the Senate that any treaty, such as Edca that was ratified by the President, should be concurred in by the chamber otherwise it becomes “invalid and ineffective.”

READ: 14 senators adopt Santiago’s resolution requiring Senate OK on Edca

“Nakapagtataka na ginawang Executive Agreement ito. Marahil dahil natatakot sila (Executive) na hindi mapasa, hindi ma-ratify sa Senado,” the senator said in a statement.

(It’s perplexing why they made it an Executive Agreement. Maybe they are afraid this will not get ratified in the Senate.)

“Ako, hindi nagbabago ang aking posisyon. Kasama ako sa committee ni Senator Miriam na nagsabi na kailangan dinaan sa ratification—ganoon pa rin ang aking posisyon,” he said.

(My position has not changed. I belong to Senator Miriam’s committee which reasoned that this should have been ratified—that’s still my position.)

Marcos was referring to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who initiated the resolution.

“Samantala, nakadesisyon na ang Supreme Court (But the Supreme Court has already made its decision), I beg to disagree with the Supreme Court. I believe that this is in fact a treaty, and as an international treaty, it must be ratified by the Senate. That is our procedure, that is the way we in the Senate handle international treaties,” the senator added.

Voting 10-4-1, the SC upheld the legality of the Edca.

READ: Supreme Court upholds legality of Edca

Marcos said he was not against the Edca itself as he was only pointing out that Senate’s role in ratifying a treaty.

“Dapat pabayaan din naman na i-deliberate ng Senado ‘yang mga ganyang klase ng agreement sa gitna ng Pilipinas at ibang bansa (The Senate should have been given the chance to deliberate this kind of agreement between the Philippines and other countries),” he said. IDL

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