Govt execs: No secrecy in VFA 2
02/20/2009 | 05:36 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Government officials maintained Friday that there is no secret agreement between the Philippines and the United States that purportedly complements the Visiting Forces Agreement.
In a text message to reporters, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Bayani Mangibin said the "VFA 2," or the "Agreement between the Government of the United States of American and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines regarding the Treatment of Republic of the Philippines Personnel visiting the United States of America," can be accessed by the public through the Internet.
Citing the May 3, 1999 joint committee report of the Senate committees on national defense and foreign relations, Mangibin likewise said the document which allows the detention of erring Filipino military personnel visiting the US in American penal institutions is similar to what the US gave Israel, Spain, and Singapore.
"The Philippines, thus, (is) one of the few countries whose defense and military personnel will be accorded VFA-type courtesies when they visit the US," he said.
Separately, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said VFA 2, signed in October 1998, aimed to serve as a guide on the conduct of Filipino soliders joining the execises being conducted in the US.
"VFA2 is not a a secret document. It was in the joint commitee report of the Senate commitee of defense and foreign relations, " Remonde said.
Earlier, Senator Joker Arroyo bared an alleged "secret" supplement to the VFA which he views as one-sided favoring the US.
But Mangibin explained that while the VFA "governs the treatment of US servicemen in military units and defense personnel who are in the Philippine territory for short periods for joint military exercises approved by both RP and US governments, the VFA 2 deals with Filipino servicemen who are in the US for individual training, scholarships and conferences for long periods."
The DFA official belied Arroyo's claim that the VFA 2 is proof of how disadvantageous the RP-US agreements are to the Philippines.
"Similar to the VFA, the primary right of jurisdiction over the apprehended Filipino serviceman belongs to the host country (the US). The Philippines may request the appropriate authorities to waive jurisdiction in favor of the Philippine government," he said.
"Detention arrangements are consistent with the VFA wherein eventual detention facilities must be on basis of mutual agreement of both governments," he added.
Mangibin said that while the US exercises custody over erring RP military personnel in the US, Filipino servicemen are still given "guarantees" under the law.
"The reason for distinction with the VFA is that the US, as a federal state, could not commit each federal state of the union to amend its rules on criminal procedure," he said.
Senator Arroyo, one of the staunchest critics of the VFA in the Senate, bared on Thursday the "secret" agreement which he said was signed in 1998 by then DFA secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. and then US envoy Thomas Hubbard.
Malacañang had earlier distanced itself from the supposed agreement by saying the Arroyo administration had nothing to do with it because it was signed under the presidency of Joseph Estrada.
Presidential deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, however, said Malacañang officials are now looking into the document and are studying whether it can be considered binding. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
In a text message to reporters, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Bayani Mangibin said the "VFA 2," or the "Agreement between the Government of the United States of American and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines regarding the Treatment of Republic of the Philippines Personnel visiting the United States of America," can be accessed by the public through the Internet.
Citing the May 3, 1999 joint committee report of the Senate committees on national defense and foreign relations, Mangibin likewise said the document which allows the detention of erring Filipino military personnel visiting the US in American penal institutions is similar to what the US gave Israel, Spain, and Singapore.
"The Philippines, thus, (is) one of the few countries whose defense and military personnel will be accorded VFA-type courtesies when they visit the US," he said.
Separately, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said VFA 2, signed in October 1998, aimed to serve as a guide on the conduct of Filipino soliders joining the execises being conducted in the US.
"VFA2 is not a a secret document. It was in the joint commitee report of the Senate commitee of defense and foreign relations, " Remonde said.
Earlier, Senator Joker Arroyo bared an alleged "secret" supplement to the VFA which he views as one-sided favoring the US.
But Mangibin explained that while the VFA "governs the treatment of US servicemen in military units and defense personnel who are in the Philippine territory for short periods for joint military exercises approved by both RP and US governments, the VFA 2 deals with Filipino servicemen who are in the US for individual training, scholarships and conferences for long periods."
The DFA official belied Arroyo's claim that the VFA 2 is proof of how disadvantageous the RP-US agreements are to the Philippines.
"Similar to the VFA, the primary right of jurisdiction over the apprehended Filipino serviceman belongs to the host country (the US). The Philippines may request the appropriate authorities to waive jurisdiction in favor of the Philippine government," he said.
"Detention arrangements are consistent with the VFA wherein eventual detention facilities must be on basis of mutual agreement of both governments," he added.
Mangibin said that while the US exercises custody over erring RP military personnel in the US, Filipino servicemen are still given "guarantees" under the law.
"The reason for distinction with the VFA is that the US, as a federal state, could not commit each federal state of the union to amend its rules on criminal procedure," he said.
Senator Arroyo, one of the staunchest critics of the VFA in the Senate, bared on Thursday the "secret" agreement which he said was signed in 1998 by then DFA secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. and then US envoy Thomas Hubbard.
Malacañang had earlier distanced itself from the supposed agreement by saying the Arroyo administration had nothing to do with it because it was signed under the presidency of Joseph Estrada.
Presidential deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, however, said Malacañang officials are now looking into the document and are studying whether it can be considered binding. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
