Groups lauds Senate action on VFA

A militant group on Thursday lauded the Senate's approval on second reading of the measure seeking to abrogate or renegotiate the 10-year Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States. "We hail the passage of Senate Resolution 1356 as a major rebuke of the VFA," said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. in a text message to reporters. "The resolution sharply exposed the lopsidedness of the agreement and how it has trampled on our sovereignty for the last 10 years," he added. The VFA allows US forces to be deployed within the country to train Filipino soldiers in the fight against terrorism. At least six senators, including Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, signed Resolution 1356 to urge the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to renegotiate the VFA. They claimed there was no clear provision on the scope, duration of stay, and the extent of engagement of US forces in the country. Santiago is co-chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee on the VFA (Lovfa). Bayan, for its part, urged the senators to bring the issue before the Supreme Court should the Executive department disregard their call to review the treaty. In her sponsorship speech on Wednesday, Santiago said some provisions in the VFA have been vague on crucial terms such as "visit," "temporary," and "activities." She added that the agreement violated the Constitution because the US, as a contracting party, failed to recognize the VFA as a treaty. She likewise belied claims that the country is benefiting from the controversial agreement. “The US calls the Philippines as a major non-NATO ally, but treats us like a shabby country cousin," she said. "In return for the VFA, what we receive is paltry, mostly in the form of Excess Defense Articles. In other words, US military junk." Earlier, presidential aspirant and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said moves to review the agreement should be done after the May 2010 elections. Teodoro, who earlier said he is in favor of the agreement, also called on the critics to look at the benefits that the country reaps from it. "I think let us study carefully its (VFA) positive benefits, as well as the negative benefits and maybe, let us talk about it some other time so it won’t be politicized," said Teodoro, who has been picked as standard bearer of the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV