The 24-member Senate on Monday approved a resolution on third and final reading its concurrence to the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons.
Voting during the Senate plenary session chaired by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III was 23-0.
The President of the Philippines ratified the Treaty on November 18, 2020 and has submitted it to the Senate in accordance with the Constitution.
The resolution was endorsed for Senate concurrence by the Senate foreign relations committee chaired by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.
The following government agencies endorsed the concurrence to the ratification of the Treaty: Department of Justice, Department of Science and Technology; Department of National Defense; Department of Trade and Industry; Armed Forces of the Philippines; Philippine National Police; and Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes.
The treaty ‘’prohibits State parties from (I) developing, testing. producing, manufacturing, transferring, possessing, stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons; (II) assisting, encouraging or inducing anyone to engage in said activities; and (III) allowing nuclear weapons to be stationed, installed or deployed in their respective territories.’’
The treaty ‘’obligates States to provide assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, and to take appropriate measures towards the environmental remediation of contaminated areas.’’
The Philippines has a comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.