SC Decision on VFA Further Exposes Women and Children to Injustice and Danger- Maza

“The Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement bodes further peril and injustice to women, children and communities where joint military exercises are to be held. It is an affront to women and to the country’s sovereignty.”

Thus said GABRIELA Women’s Party Representative Liza Maza today as Supreme Court magistrates voted 9-4 to junk the petition filed by former Senators Jovito Salonga and Wigberto Tanada as well as lawyers Romeo Capulong and Harry Roque to declare the VFA unconstitutional. They had argued that the VFA undermines the powers of the Supreme Court to decide and promulgate on rules of procedure in courts, following convicted rapist Lance Corporal Daniel Smith’s unceremonious transfer to the US Embassy.

“While the Supreme Court decision secured RP custody over Smith, its decision to uphold the constitutionality of VFA is two steps backward as it further exposes our women, children and communities to injustice and danger,” said Maza.

The Gabriela solon further said that with US troops now set to hold military exercises in the Masbate, Albay and Sorsogon, the Bicolanos’ fears of escalating cases of human rights violations and abuse with the arrival of these troops are justifiable and should not remain unheeded.

“Our experience with the presence of US troops in Mindanao has shown how much havoc they can wreak on our communities. Their participation in military operations has led to the shooting of Buyong-buyong Isnijal in 2002 as well as the massacre of civilians in Patikul, Sulu last year. No US soldier has ever been held accountable for these violations.”

“We can expect more impunity now that the Supreme Court has rendered our courts limp and toothless in the face of US criminal violations.”