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Philippines ratifies Australia military pact
MANILA: The Philippine Senate ratified a sensitive military pact with Australia Tuesday that lays out rules for visiting troops, in a move politicians said would improve regional security. The agreement was first signed in 2007 but remained in legislative limbo amid political sensitivities, as the countrys constitution explicitly bans the long-term stationing of foreign forces on its territory.Its endorsement by the Senate five years on is seen by some observers as a bid to get Australias backing in Manilas row with China over South China Sea islands. Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile said the body passed a resolution endorsing the treaty 17-1 with no abstentions, putting it into force after a four-year debate in the Philippines. The two countries had earlier signed a preliminary agreement on defense and military cooperation in 1995. The latest pact would, among other things, subject visiting soldiers to the jurisdiction of the host country should they commit acts that are illegal in the host country but not in the sending country. The Philippines signed a similar pact in 1998 with its traditional military ally the United States. Under the pact small numbers of US military advisers have been deployed in the southern Philippines for the past decade to help train Philippine forces fighting Islamic militants. Posted by: Steve White 2012-07-25 |
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