During the plenary session Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Sen. Robinhood Padilla renews his appeal to his colleagues to consider supporting Senate Bill No. (SBN) 230, otherwise known as the Medical Cannabis Compassionate Act, which he filed last July. 聽(Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Robin Padilla wants the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to hold an information drive on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
Padilla鈥檚 suggestion was raised during the Senate finance subcommittee鈥檚 hearing on Friday after the DFA shared its plan to hold an information campaign on the arbitral award on the West Philippine Sea.
鈥淜anina po ang sinabi po nila, para po sa information, public information ng West Philippine Sea, 鈥榶ung arbitral ruling na nanalo po tayo.
(They earlier announced a plan on public information on the arbitral award we won on the West Philippine Sea.)
鈥淎ng sinasabi ko po, dapat kapag gumawa po sila ng publisidad patungkol diyan, dapat ay kasama po ang patungkol sa at ang Mutual Defense Treaty sapagkat iyan po ay magkakapatid,鈥� said Padilla, Senate committee on public information and mass media chairperson.
(I鈥檓 saying if they create publicity about that, it should include the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty because they come together.)
(EDITORS NOTE:聽 The VFA 鈥� It was finalized in 1998 between the Philippines and the United States. US service members traveling to the Philippines on official business (such as for bilateral training or military exercises with the Philippines) will find the entry process streamlined thanks to this agreement, and any problems that arise as a result of US forces being stationed in the Philippines will be handled according to a set of outlined procedures. The MDT- The US hasn鈥檛 followed up on its MDT promise regarding attacks on Philippine assets in disputed waters. Security objectives can be achieved without resorting to large-scale confrontations in asymmetrical and hybrid warfare through gray zone techniques. China鈥檚 use of similar gray zone techniques in recent years is believed to counter the US influence and conventional military power. The Philippine government has not yet challenged Chinese actions in the South China Sea in court. Even after the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in July 2016 that the Philippines had won in its maritime claims dispute against China, incursions by Chinese ships have continued. To protect marine life from Chinese ships that damage coral reefs, fishermen and farmers in Palawan petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to enforce the Fisheries Code. 鈥� source Center for Strategic and International Studies )
Padilla pointed out that information dissemination on the MDT and VFA is necessary as people have become 鈥渢oo brave鈥� knowing that the United States (US) will defend the Philippines in case of attacks.
The senator stressed that the US Congress must convene first when the Philippines is attacked under the MDT.
鈥淪a Mutual Defense Treaty po kasi, malinaw po doon na dadaan pa tayo sa Kongreso ng Amerika kapag tayo po ay inatake. Papa鈥檔o po kaya 鈥榶an?鈥� he asked.
(In the Mutual Defense Treaty, it is clear that we must go through the US Congress when we are under attack. How is that?)
鈥溾�橸ung iba pong mga kababayan natin ay masyadong naniniwala na kapag tayo po ay inatake kagyat, kagyat nandito ang Amerika. Pero doon po sa defense treaty dadaan pa tayo sa Kongreso. Magbobotohan pa sila. Baka po bago sila pumayag at sila鈥檡 ano ay nabura na po tayo sa mapa,鈥� Padilla lamented.
(Our other fellow Filipinos believe that America will immediately be here when we are under attack. But the defense treaty we will pass through US Congress. They will vote. They may help us when we are already erased from the map.)
The senator then pushed for the information drive so Filipinos learn not to be 鈥渢oo brave鈥� and not bypass dialogues.
鈥淪iguro kailangan po maging malinaw ang ating pagpapaliwanag sa ating mga kababayan para huwag po tayong nagiging masyadong matapang,鈥� he said.
(Our explanation to our fellow Filipinos should be clear so we will not be overly bold.)
鈥淜asi alam niyo po, para po tayong langaw na nakapatong sa kalabaw na masyado po tayong matapang minsan. Nakakalimutan natin makipag-usap,鈥� urged Padilla.
(We鈥檙e as courageous as a fly on a carabao. Initiating communication was overlooked on our part.)
While Padilla pushed for spreading awareness on the DFA鈥檚 role and the MDT, VFA, and arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea, he stressed that what鈥檚 important for fisherfolk is to fish freely.
鈥淧atungkol sa West Philippine Sea hangga鈥檛 hindi nakikita ng ating kababayan na nakapangisda ang kababayan natin doon, kahit tayo mag-tumbling, hindi nila maintindihan 鈥榶an,鈥� he said.
(On the ground, at the grassroots, our people won鈥檛 understand the role of the DFA, the MDT and the arbitral ruling. In the West Philippine Sea, their bottom line is to fish there freely, no matter how we explain.) 鈥攚ith reports from Irish Lorraine Perez, 黑料社 trainee