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By Jomar Canlas, Reporter
A SOLON is now pushing for an Expanded Treason
Law (E-Treason Law) to make liable government officials who
allegedly surrendered national sovereignty to China by signing the
Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) of the Spratly Islands
between China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
During an interpellation in the House of
Representatives, Makati Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin questioned Cebu Rep.
Antonio Cuenco for a possible amendment of the treason law in the
Revised Penal Code.
Locsin said that the JMSU could be suspected for
a hidden agenda between the Philippines and China, especially after
the controversies of the National Broadband Network-ZTE project have
been exposed.
The solon wanted to make those government
officials who pushed for the JMSU liable by expanding the treason
law, saying that in signing the agreement, they committed the crime
of treason.
“Don’t you think it is about time to amend
the treason law and introduce the E-Treason Law similar to EVAT
law?,” Locsin asked Cuenco.
Cuenco, however, said there is no proof that the
NBN-ZTE deal was a compromise agreement with the JMSU between the
Philippines and China, stressing that Spratlys has six claimants,
and the Philippines does not own it solidarily.
Under Article 114 of the Revised Penal Code,
Treason can be committed by “[A]ny person who, owing allegiance to
[the United States or] the Government of the Philippine Islands, not
being a foreigner, levies war against them or adheres to their
enemies, giving them aid or comfort within the Philippine Islands or
elsewhere, shall be punished by reclusion temporal to death and
shall pay a fine not to exceed 20,000 pesos.....[L]ikewise, an
alien, residing in the Philippine Islands, who commits acts of
treason as defined in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be punished
by prision mayor to death and shall pay a fine not to exceed 20,000
pesos.”
Prision mayor refers to a penalty of
imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to 12 years.
Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. admitted
recently that he spearheaded the JMSU during his stint as House
Speaker as it is good for the Philippines to avoid war with a
superpower like China.
Locsin wanted to discern, however, if there was
a surrender of sovereignty to China through JMSU which made him
suggest a possible amendment of the Treason Law by expanding it into
the E-Treason law.
House Bill 3216 or Defining the Archipelagic
Baselines of the Philippines as to the claim to Spratly Islands and
Scarborough Shoal is now on its third reading, but it was held in
abeyance after the Department of Foreign Affairs interfered to stop
its passage.
Recently, House Resolution 496 of Bayan Muna
Party list Rep. Teodoro Casiño was filed inquiring the stoppage of
the passage of HB 3216 for its third and final reading.
Casiño said he was told by Committee on Foreign
Affairs Vice Chairman Orlando Fua that an official from the DFA
called him up to suspend the passage of the said bill for it will
affect treaties entered into by the Philippine government. He said
that Fua refused to reveal the name of the said DFA official and the
details as to the said conversation.
The Philippines has up to May 2009 to file its
claim on the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. The said claim
shall be submitted to the United Nations Convention on the Law of
Sea (UNCLOS).
There are six countries claiming the Spratly
Islands: China, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.
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