Republic of the Philippines HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Quezon City FIFTEENTH CONGRESS First Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION No.

409 _______________________________________________________________________ Introduced by Reps. TEDDY A . CASIO and NERI JAVIER COLMENARES ________________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION CALLING ON PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III TO INITIATE THE ABROGATION OF THE RP-US VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT AND DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF US TROOPS IN THE COUNTRY ON HIS US VISIT ON SEPTEMBER 20 TO 26, 2010 WHEREAS, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is set to embark on his first foreign trips as head of state to the United States of America on September 20 to 26, 2010 to address the 65th United Nations General Assembly on September 24, among others; WHEREAS, according to the Department of Foreign (DFA) , a one-on-one meeting with US Pres. Barrack Obama remains uncertain, but reports earlier cite that Aquino is set to meet Obama along with the whole group of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the US-ASEAN summit. Aquino will serve as coordinator for the 2nd ASEAN -US Leaders Meeting in New York. The Philippines is country coordinator for ASEAN -US Dialogue relations for 2009-2012; WHEREAS, the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the presence of US troops in the country are significant focal points of RP-US relations after the Filipino people, through the Senate, rejected the renewal of the RP-US Military Bases Agreement on September 16, 1991. The VFA is a bilateral agreement which allows the entry of US troops, materiel and establishment of US military facilities throughout the country; WHEREAS, 19 years hence, US forces are back in the country not on a visiting status, but on a permanent basis. The 11-year old VFA has paved the way for the permanent presence of US troops and establishment of facilities throughout the country through the agreements vague provisions on the number, duration and stay of troops; WHEREAS, since 2002, US troops have never left the country following the year-round joint military exercises coupled with humanitarian missions mostly in areas which are known strongholds of armed revolutionary organizations. Various reports have been documented throughout the years of US troops involvement in direct combat operations which are explicit violations of the VFA and the Constitution;

WHEREAS, the VFAs provisions on criminal jurisdiction of erring US troops likewise show its patent one-sidedness in favor of the US as exemplified by the Nicole rape case involving convicted rapist Lance Corporal Daniel Smith who was later whisked out of the country after his conviction; WHEREAS, other cases of rights abuses involving US troops include the shooting of Buyong Buyong Isnijal in Basilan way back in July 2002 to the mysterious death of Gregan Cardeo on February 2, 2010 who was working as an interpreter for the US military unit Liaison Coordination elements in Camp Rana, Marawi City; WHEREAS, while local courts have deemed the VFA as constitutional, the US has deemed the VFA as a mere Executive Agreement even as the Philippine government has recognized it as a treaty; WHEREAS, the VFA and the US troops permanent presence undermine sovereignty, degrade national honor and paves the way for the commission of human rights abuses against the Filipino people; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the House of Representatives call on President Benigno Simeon III to initiate the abrogation of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement and demand the withdrawal of US troops in the country on his US visit on September 20 to 26, 2010. Adopted,

TEDDY A. CASIO Bayan Muna Party-list

NERI JAVIER COLMENARES Bayan Muna Party-list