Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) — Officials allayed fears that ratifying an international arms trade treaty would put the country at risk of sanctions over alleged human rights violations, as raised by Senator Imee Marcos during a Senate hearing.
The Senate committee on foreign relations wrapped up its deliberations on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on Thursday and will next endorse it to the plenary for ratification. Panel chair Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said they will now prepare the committee report.
The ATT regulates the international trade in conventional arms and aims to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade of these weapons. The Philippines is one of 31 signatories but ratifying the treaty would legally bind the country to its implementation.
Article 6 of the treaty states that a state party shall not authorize any weapons sale “if it has knowledge at the time of authorization that the arms or items would be used in the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, attacks directed against civilian objects or civilians protected as such, or other war crimes as defined by international agreements to which it is a Party.”
During Thursday’s committee hearing, Marcos asked: “Are we not nearly inviting a potential embargo and blacklisting of the Philippines if we become a state party?”
“With allegations of human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, the drug war, the exporting party may easily be prohibited from shipping vitally needed weaponry to our government on the suspicion that the country is involved in crimes against humanity,” the lawmaker added.
She cited reports that the Philippine National Police had to cancel awarded contracts for rifles and pistols “because the U.S. refused to issue export permits.” It’s not clear if she was referring to President Rodrigo Durterte’s 2016 order to cancel the purchase of 26,000 assault rifles amid reports that Washington would stop the sale over concerns of human rights violations.
Marcos also mentioned the halted purchase of 16 Bell helicopters after Canada ordered a review supposedly over concerns these may be used in operations against Filipino rebels.
In response, Ambassador Bruce Concepcion, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, said the Philippines is already subject to sanctions as a member of the United Nations.
“What happens is that with a good reputation, the imposition of embargoes and sanctions will be farther because we have a better reputation than before,” Concepcion said.
Lawyer Norman Daanoy, chief of the Legal Affairs Service of the Department of National Defense, stressed that the ATT “is not a disarmament treaty.”
“Governments can still procure for the legitimate use of their security forces,” Daanoy said.
“Of course, if there are issues, that will be assessed…It’s just a matter of presenting it, justifying it, that it is a legitimate procurement,” he added.
