Analysts say Congress should keep watch on executive branch鈥檚 foreign policy decisions
THE PHILIPPINE legislature, with majority of both chambers allied with the Marcos administration, should exercise its authority as an independent body in keeping watch over the foreign policy decisions of the executive branch, analysts said at the weekend.听听
鈥The legislature is expected to play an important role in deliberating (assessing and evaluating) the viability and long-term repercussions of an emerging foreign policy or bilateral/multilateral agreement,鈥 Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science professor at the Ateneo De Manila University, said via Messenger chat.听听
Under Philippine law, international treaties and agreements require a majority vote of the Senate for concurrence before ratification.听听听
Jaime P. Naval, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines, said in a Zoom interview that 鈥Congress would have to act like a watchdog at the very least.鈥听听
Mr. Naval noted that while the executive branch, led by the president, is the 鈥chief architect鈥 that initiates and implements foreign policies, 鈥The role of the legislature鈥 is to scrutinize if ever there might be (an) errancy or inconsistency.鈥澨听听听
Under the current set of elected executive and legislative leaders, however, the two branches are 鈥politically fused or aligned together due to the ability of the executive to have full and effective control of the government resources (e.g. discretionary funds, appointments, etc.),鈥 Mr. Aguirre said.听听听
He added that a supermajority in Congress 鈥undermines the principle of institutional independence between and among our branches of government,鈥 and would lead to 鈥hasty yet inadequate passage of laws or ratification of treaties that usually harm the interest of the general public.鈥听听
Last week, the Philippine government gave the United States access to four more military bases, bringing the total to nine, under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). 鈥 Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
