7 negative votes put SoVFA OK in peril
06/07/2012The approval of a new military treaty with Australia or the so-called Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia (SoVFA) will likely be rejected by the Senate with seven out of the 23 sitting senators casting negative votes on the proposed agreement’s “second reading.”
In supporting the treaty, however, Sen. Loren Legarda said geo-political realities, as well as global and regional security challenges, not present before the turn of the last century require the strengthening of the country’s defense posture through a regime of cooperation with allies.
“Australia is one of the top bilateral grant aid donors to the Philippines. It provides 100-percent grant funding. Also, the SoVFA contains a unique provision on environmental protection, thus assuring us that local environmental laws will be observed in the conduct of exercises,” she said..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120607hea4.html
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