The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is moving to recommend seven key international pacts for panel approval, according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.
Heading the panel, Zubiri assured that the Senate will move efficiently while carefully vetting every treaty to safeguard national interests.
Addressing a public hearing on Thursday, August 20, Zubiri outlined the broad impact of the pending deals, which span aviation security, space damage liability, tax evasion prevention, higher education qualifications, extradition, and legal cooperation:
“These are all equally important treaties, but massively beneficial for us in the areas of security, defense, trade and investments, academic competitiveness and mobility, and criminality and justice.”
He clarified that despite delays caused by recent leadership shifts, the Senate will not pass the measures without diligent review:
“We evaluate all these treaties with a sense of caution. We are not here to simply green-light them all without ensuring first that the Philippines is always on equal footing with its treaty partners.”
The seven agreements undergoing committee evaluation include:
- Protocol to Amend the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft
- United Nations Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia for the Elimination of Double Taxation with Respect to Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance
- Agreement between the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income
- Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education
- ASEAN Treaty on Extradition
- Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India
Zubiri highlighted the urgent need to concur with the 2014 Montreal Protocol to update laws on in-flight offenses, remarking:
“It’s actually a very simple measure, very straightforward. I don’t know why we have not been able to act on this measure.”
He also emphasized the necessity of entering the UN Space Liability Convention, pointing to past incidents involving foreign space debris falling within Philippine land and waters:
“If debris coming from another country falls in the Philippines and damages property or, worse, costs lives, we should have a clear rulebook that allows us to seek compensation and hold the responsible state accountable.”
Expressing gratitude to Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and officials across defense, transport, space, and legal agencies for their technical guidance, Zubiri stated that the committee will now draft the individual reports and gather member signatures before presenting the treaties for plenary deliberation.