Drilon: Edca issue up to SC

Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday said it was up to the Supreme Court to rule whether the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) needs to be ratified by the Senate.

“We have to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court at this point,” Drilon said.
He said the solicitor general has taken the position that it is not a treaty that requires ratification. And as far as the executive branch was concerned, Edca is “only an agreement,” Drilon said.

“Once the SC decides that it is a treaty that must be ratified, then the executive will transmit to the Senate the agreement for ratification,” he said.

Unless the issue was resolved by the high court, no law would require the Malacañang to transmit the defense agreement to the Senate.

“If at this point the executive will not submit the treaty or agreement for ratification, we cannot do anything especially that it is pending with the Supreme Court,” Drilon said.

Meanwhile, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III may be impeached because of Edca.

Aquino and US President Barack Obama signed the agreement in April to increase the Philippines’ military capability and grant US military access to selected military facilities in the country.

Santiago, chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, said the Senate would hold a public hearing on Edca on December 1.

Drilon said he would not prevent Santiago from conducting the hearing.

“Certainly, hearings can be done,” he said.

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