Press Release
June 2, 2009

KIKO PANGILINAN ON GATES' VFA ENDORSEMENT: US AND RP INTERESTS VASTLY DIFFER WITH EXISTING VFA AGREEMENT;
SEEKS TERMINATION

Independent Senator Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan is keen on reviewing the Visiting Forces Agreement before sessions end this week at the Senate.

"We believe that the VFA in its present form is unconstitutional and counterproductive. We seek to have it reviewed, if not abrogated. My wish is that the Filipino be as 'comfortable' and as 'satisfied' with the VFA as our American friends are," Pangilinan says, quoting US heads of state's reactions to critics of the treaty.

"Ten years has passed and we still don't see the benefits we are supposed to be getting from the VFA," Pangilinan adds. "It's one-sided. It grants extraterritorial and extrajudicial rights to US servicemen here in our own territory. The Smith case exposed the one-sidedness of the treaty. It proved that we now have two systems of criminal justice in the country: One for US soldiers and one for the rest of our citizens and individuals. This violates our constitutional provisions on equal protection of the laws."

"We cannot expect the US defense secretary to promote Philippine interests. This is the responsibility of Philippine officials, hence the need to call for its review and termination. The VFA has subverted our justice system, our local laws, and indeed, our sovereignty as a nation. We cannot stress enough our indignation of this treaty. We seek to have it reviewed with the end in view of having it terminated."

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