PH Senate panel prepares seven international treaties for floor debate

MANILA — Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri is moving to fast-track seven international agreements spanning aviation security, space liability, double-taxation, higher education, and criminal justice.

The push comes after the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations—which Zubiri recently took over as chairman—wrapped up its hearings on the measures. The panel is currently finalizing individual committee reports to secure members' signatures before advancing the treaties to the Senate floor.

Zubiri noted that he aims to clear a backlog of pending international agreements stemming from recent Senate leadership changes, while maintaining strict oversight.

“We are not here to simply greenlight them all without ensuring first that the Philippines is always on equal footing with its treaty partners. Walang lamangan, ika nga,” Zubiri said, emphasizing that every agreement is weighed against a simple test: “What do we stand to gain, or what do we stand to lose?”

Pacts Under Review

The measures currently heading toward plenary debate include:

Space Liability: The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, which establishes a legal framework for the Philippines to claim compensation if foreign space debris causes damage or injury on local territory. Zubiri emphasized its timeliness given recent incidents of foreign launch debris entering Philippine waters and airspace.

Aviation Security: A protocol amending the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, aimed at tightening rules against unruly passengers and expanding jurisdictional rights over inflight offenses.

Tax Agreements: A bilateral pact with Cambodia to eliminate double taxation and prevent tax evasion, alongside a proposed tax agreement between the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO). Zubiri noted that economic ties with Taiwan can be strengthened within the framework of the Philippines' One China policy.

Academic Recognition: The Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (the Tokyo Convention), which standardizes academic credentials to boost mobility for Filipino students and professionals.

Cross-Border Justice: Two key law enforcement pacts—the ASEAN Treaty on Extradition and a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) with India—designed to streamline fugitive tracking, evidence collection, asset tracing, and joint prosecutions.

This latest push follows the Senate's recent concurrence in Status of Visiting Forces Agreements (SVFA) with Canada and New Zealand, which Zubiri co-steered alongside former committee chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo.

Once committee reports are signed, Zubiri said he intends to sponsor the treaties on the Senate floor with urgency, ensuring all commitments remain strictly aligned with the national interest.