Senator Imee Marcos today August 31 slammed the Department of Foreign Affairs for "xeroxing" the defense strategy of other countries.
Marcos leveled the accusation at Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Enrique Austria Manalo during a public hearing by the Commission on Appointments' (CA) committee on foreign affairs chaired by Senator Jose ‘’Jinggoy’’ Estrada.
The CA panel is scrutinizing Manalo's fitness to be Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary.
As chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, Marcos said she had asked the intelligence community and the DFA to submit to her a copy of the Philippine defense strategy.
"To my horror I was handed by your officials a paper from the US defense department fact sheet on it’s 2022 national defense strategy and other papers. I do not understand why this was handed to me and a Philippine strategy was not," she said.
The Philippines, according to Marcos, is a sovereign nation with an independent policy.
"Why are we ‘xeroxing’ the defense strategy of other countries?" she asked Manalo.
Manalo admitted that the incident was a "mistake" and promised that it would not happen again.
Marcos said she could not terminate the organizational meeting of her foreign relations committee because Manalo has failed to attend the three scheduled meetings.
She said she had to apologize to her fellow senators who are committee members when they attended the scheduled meetings that were eventually reset.
’’As chair(man) of the Senate committee of foreign affairs, I have repeatedly asked a briefing on RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), regional code of conduct on West Philippine Sea, as well as positions regarding matters raised to the Ambassador in US - EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement ). Yet until today, I have not received any input from your department. Why are you taking so long? You are busy but so are we,’’ she said.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, concurrent CA chairman, reminded Manalo that the Senate and the Executive branch are co-equals.
Zubiri said the organizational meetings are important for the Senate to know their plans.
"Please attend the hearings of Congress," he added.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was supposed to conduct its third organizational meeting on Tuesday, August 30, but later on announced it would be scheduled to another date.
"We tried our best to provide information. The other day when we had hearing, there were other commitments. Cabinet meeting. Timing was a bit off. There was no intention of trying to move away from briefing," Manalo explained to the panel.
Asked if there is a Philippine strategic policy on the contested West Philippine Sea, Manalo replied: "Our strategy is we are guided by rule.. resolve all conflicts peacefully by rule of law. But every opportunity we have, whether verbally, writing, (we) stress the need to resolve peacefully. Goal... how to maintain interest but peaceful."
"We are not in position to enter into armed clash with China. We have a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with US. We also are very close allies of US. We are seeking to build up situation not aimed at any country but aimed at building defense. As well also with other partners like Japan and Australia," he added.