Malacañang does not see the need for the Philippine Senate to submit its findings to US President Donald Trump regarding the owner of the aircraft that carried former president Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague, as suggested by Senator Bato dela Rosa.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/7/palace-shrugs-off-bato-s-suggestion-to-sanction-owner-of-jet-that-flew-duterte-to-hague
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/7/palace-shrugs-off-bato-s-suggestion-to-sanction-owner-of-jet-that-flew-duterte-to-hague
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NewsTranscript
00:00As we can see, we have read the Executive Order and we will continue with the definition of ally.
00:09Ally of the United States.
00:11It is stated here that the term ally used in the Executive Order of President Trump,
00:17first, the government of a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO,
00:24and a government of major non-NATO ally.
00:28As that term is defined by Section 2013, Paragraph 7 of the American Service Members Protection Act of 2002.
00:39When we look at the definition that appears here in Paragraph 3,
00:45it seems that Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Argentina, and the Republic of Korea and New Zealand or Taiwan were enumerated.
00:55But when we look at Paragraph 7, it appears here that the term non-NATO ally means a country that has been so designated in accordance with Section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
01:11So we can see that the Philippines was considered and designated as a major non-NATO ally.
01:21So it appears that we are a party to the Executive Order.
01:26But it is also clear in the Executive Order that here in my side is Page 9.
01:38And I quote,
01:39The United States remains committed to accountability and to the peaceful cultivation of international order,
01:51but the ICC and the parties to the Rome Statute must respect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC's jurisdiction.
02:04Consistent with the respective sovereign prerogatives.
02:09So this means that the United States is also respecting the prerogatives of the United States through this Executive Order.
02:28So whatever the prerogative of our country, it will be respected by the United States.
02:38Regarding what Senator Bato said, the EO that was signed by the US President last February 6, imposing sanctions on the owners.
02:49Because Senator Bato wants to know who is the owner of the chartered plane that was used.
02:58If there is any ownership in the US, it should be answered.
03:01That is why I read this provision and the Executive Order because the United States is just asking what is the prerogative of the country.
03:11If our country and our government made a decision according to our RA 9851 and in cooperating with Interpol,
03:22that will not be obstructed by the US and they will respect the sovereign prerogatives of the country.
03:30So I don't see any reason for Senator Bato to run to the US to ask for help to freeze the assets of the owner of the aircraft.