MANILA, Philippines — The Senate should “act now” and “assert its authority” on the verbal fishing pact that President Rodrigo Duterte forged with Chinese President Xi Jinping. READ: Duterte invokes 2016 fishing agreement with China“That has to be ratified by the Senate before it can be implemented. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said that the Duterte-Xi verbal fishing deal could not be enforced. READ: Locsin: Verbal fishing agreement with China can’t be enforced“The verbal agreement cannot be enforced because it’s verbal, exactly as (Senator) Frank(lin) Drilon said that you need a document to prove an agreement. For Secretary Salvador Panelo, the Duterte-Xi unwritten fishing pact was “legally binding.”READ: Panelo insists verbal fishing deal between Duterte and Xi ‘legally binding’’“It’s legally binding… Alam mo, there are as many opinions as there are lawyers.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 23, 2019 05:48 UTC