Press Release
April 29, 2014

Transcript of Ambush Interview with Senate
President Franklin Drilon on April 29, 2014

Q: Should the EDCA go through the Senate?

SPFMD: There are various views. Marami po ang nagsasabi na ilegal kapag hinde, marami ang nagsasabi na hinde na kailangan. Sa akin po, dalhin na nila sa Korte Suprema. Whether this is a treaty or a document that would require concurrence or ratification of the Senate, or an executive agreement, that will have to be decided by the Supreme Court.

So I urge everyone to go the Supreme Court and finally decide whether this is a treaty which would require ratification by the Senate, or an executive agreement which will be implemented by a mere signature of the executive branch.

Q: The Senate has an oversight committee on the VFA, should that be utilized?

SPFMD: Well the Senate has an oversight committee. We can always ask them to explain. But whether we can or we can not ratify depends on the executive branch, if they will send it to us for ratification. If the document is not sent to us, then we have nothing to ratify officially. So I would go back to my suggestion: bring it to the Supreme Court, who is the ultimate arbiter whether this is a treaty or an executive agreement.

Q: Has there been a notice or possible schedule of when you might be sent a copy?

SPFMD: There is none. I know of it only through the frequently asked questions published in the papers today.

Q: Do you think there was enough transparency in the matter of signing of the EDCA?

SPFMD: Regarding the matter of transparency, alam mo sa negotiations ng mga ganung klaseng agreement, it's principally the function first of the executive. They negotiate. And as you would recall in the bases treaty, there was a negotiation between the US panel and the Philippine panel and afterwards, the treaty was submitted for ratification by the Senate.

That is the nature of the negotiations. You can not expose your positions publicly when you have to negotiate. The participation of the Senate was in the ratification of the document.

Q: Are there plans to hold Senate hearings on the EDCA?

SPFMD: None that I have been informed of, but that is the call of the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Q: When sessions resume on May 5, do you plan to hold a caucus on the pork scam, given the involvement of many senators?

SPFMD: We don't intend to hold a caucus. We do not intend to do that.

Q: Sir, nalalagay sa alanganin ang position ng Senate ngayon dahil sa pork scam.

SPFMD: I am certain that the institution can recover, because we continue to look and help in the search for the truth in this issue.

On the statements of US President Obama

SPFMD: Well I expected that he will assert and emphasize the support of the United States in the process that the Philippines has followed. The conduct of the nations in this part of the world should be rule-based. So when he said that they were supporting arbitration, I expected that, and I am glad that it was articulated very clearly by Pres. Obama that they are supporting the Philippines, in that this matter should be brought to international arbitration.

Q: Are there plans to discuss the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership ) Agreement?

SPFMD: I am not familiar yet with what are the exact terms of the TPP. There has been no discussion. That is principally in this stage an initiative on the part of the executive, so it has not been discussed.

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