MANILA – Liberal party (LP) senators on Friday asked President Rodrigo Duterte to once and for all clarify if there was indeed an intention to terminate the Mutual Defense Treaty (MTD) between the Philippines and the United States of America.
This after the President made an announcement in his recent state visit to China to cut ties with the country’s long-time ally, the US and instead start borrowing money from China.
“Taking the President’s statement literally entails an abrogation of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, a binding security and military agreement. The Senate needs to be clarified if the President did indeed intend to terminate the MDT,” the LP senators said in a joint statement.
The LP senators, Senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Leila de Lima, Franklin Drilon and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan explained that while the President was considered the “chief architect” of Philippine policy, they said that this power was “not his alone” but shared with the Senate.
They also pointed out that the Constitution and laws dictate the general direction and tone of the country’s foreign policy.
“We are in agreement that the Philippines needs an independent foreign policy, one that protects and champions the interests of the Filipino people, one that is not pro-American and not pro-China but pro-Filipino, ensuring that the conventions and agreements we sign will benefit Filipino citizens,” the statement said.
The senators pointed out that the President must not forget that international realities must also be considered such as total external trade in goods, foreign investment, warm bodies among others.
They also backed the recently filed bill of Aquino, Senate Resolution 158, which calls on the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and Economic Affairs to conduct a hearing on the foreign policy direction of the government with the end view of protecting national interest.
The senators said that the hearing would call on the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Trade and Investments to explain the consequences of the President’s latest foreign policy pronouncements.
“The Filipino people deserve to know what the official position of the administration is and how these affect the lives of our countrymen residing in all corners of the globe,” the statement further said.
hMalacañang said that there was no rush for them to interpret President Duterte’s statement announcing separation from the United States “both in military but economics also”.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary for Operations and Special Concerns Marie Banaag said they had to wait for the concerned government agencies, including the Department of National Defense and Department of Foreign Affairs, to release official documents about the President’s statement. (PNA) RMA/ANP