The proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreements with Canada and New Zealand are set for Senate floor approval next week after a committee hearing that examined environmental safeguards in the defense pacts.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo ended the hearing by confirming the agreements will move to the plenary for concurrence, backed by Sen. Loren Legarda.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. noted the Canada SOVFA emphasizes environmental protection and indigenous peoples’ rights, in line with Canadian priorities. The New Zealand pact, already ratified by Wellington in March, focuses on securing supply lines in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, supported by the 100,000-strong Filipino community there.
A procedural issue arose when a Department of Environment and Natural Resources official sought to add the term “maritime zones” to the text. Legarda clarified that the Senate can only concur or reject, not amend, a ratified treaty. The official withdrew the proposal.
Teodoro assured the panel that Philippine laws on environmental liability will apply strictly and will be detailed in the agreements’ Implementing Rules and Regulations.
