Pumasa s’ya sa Bar! Roque rebuts Lacson: Duterte has read the Constitution

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte did not only read the 1987 Constitution but also passed the Bar exam.

This was Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s response to the statement of Senator Panfilo Lacson that Duterte should read the 1987 Charter after he questioned the role of senators in international agreements.

“Hindi lang binasa ng ating Presidente ang ating Saligang Batas, abogado po siya. Pumasa po siyang bar kung saan isa sa tinanong o subject area para sa examination ay ang constitutional law,” Roque said in an interview over PTV4 Wednesday.

The secretary reiterated that the President is the main architect of the country’s foreign policy, citing the cases of Pimentel vs Executive Secretary, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan vs Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, and Salonga vs Executive Secretary.

While he agreed with Lacson that a treaty may only be entered into if there is a concurrence from the Senate, Roque said there’s no need for its approval to abrogate the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States.

“Pagdating doon sa tratado tama po kayo. Nakasaad sa Saligang Batas na ang mga tratado kinakailangan ng concurrence ng Senado. Pero ang tratado ay isang instrumento lamang para sa foreign policy at itong pong concurrence ng Senado ay kinakailangan dahil ang akto ng concurrence ay ang siyang dahilan kung bakit nagiging batas po ang isang tratado,” accordng to him.

“Ang VFA po ay hindi tratado, yan po ay naging desisyon na ng ating Korte Suprema sa Bayan vs Zamora atsaka doon sa kaso ng Salonga vs Executive Secretary. Ito ay pagpapatupad lamang ng isang tratado at ang tratado na pinapatupad ng VFA ay ang Mutual Defense Treaty.

“Tama po kayo na ang merong pong nakabinbin na kaso sa ating Korte Supreme na ang isyu ay kung kinakailangan mag-concur ang Senado sa pag-alis natin doon sa VFA, pero bagamat wala pang desisyon, wala naman pong temporary restraining order na naisyu ang ating Korte Supreme na dahilan para ang Presidente ay pupuwede pong bumitaw sa VFA kahit kailan,” said Roque.

Lacson earlier described as “extortion” Duterte’s demand for the U.S. to “pay up” in order to keep the two-decade-old pact.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)