Drilon: SC affirms Senate’s role, power in treaty withdrawal

Contrary to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s claim, Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon asserted that the Supreme Court decision recognized the role and power of the Senate in treaty abrogation.

“While the Supreme Court dismissed the petition questioning the validity of the Philippine government’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute for being moot and academic, the Supreme Court affirms the need for Senate’s concurrence in the withdrawal from treaties and international agreements,” Drilon said in a statement Friday.

“The high court, in a landmark ruling, recognized and upheld the role and power of the Senate as the partner of the President, not only in treaty-making but in treaty-abrogation as well,” he stressed.

Drilon said Roque was wrong in stating that the Supreme Court decision “virtually said” that the Senate’s concurrence is not needed in withdrawing from treaties or international agreements

“The Court may have dismissed the petition on procedural grounds but the decision made a doctrinal pronouncement, by acknowledging and explicitly ruling that the President may be the ‘chief architect of foreign policy’ but his powers are not absolute,” he said.

“The decision affirms that the realm of treaty-making and abrogation is not exclusive to the President. It is a shared power with the Senate,” Drilon said.

“Since the Constitution expressly provides for shared treaty-making power, it necessarily implies that the power to abrogate the same must also be exercised jointly,” he said.

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