SENATORS have expressed a desire to look into the country’s foreign policy direction following President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest pronouncements over Benham Rise and Panatag Shoal.
Last Sept. 19, 2016, Senator Bam Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 158, urging the government to clarify the country’s stand on different foreign policy issues.
It was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations chaired by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Cayetano expressed willingness to conduct a hearing on the matter.
However, six months had passed and, until now, no date has been set for the hearing.
Aside from Aquino, three other senators backed the resolution, including Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Leila de Lima.
In addition, Aquino insisted the government must enlighten the Senate on the agreement that President Duterte allegedly entered into with China in connection with the Benham Rise.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, for its part, was not informed about the deal.
“Was there really an agreement? If there was an agreement, the govenrment should make it known to the Senate to be studied and so that the public might know,” said Aquino, who plans to call officials of the DFA, Department of National Defense and the Office of the President to clarify the matter.
Last year, Aquino filed the resolution due to President Duterte’s different pronouncements on important foreign policy issues.
In a joint statement, the four senators expressed support behind Duterte’s push for an independent foreign policy but stressed that it must protect and champion the interest of the Filipino people.
The lawmakers also want the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Trade and Investments to “explain the ramifications of the President’s latest foreign policy pronouncements on Filipinos living here and abroad”.