THE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading Senate Bill (SB) 2871 or the proposed Chemical Weapons Prohibition Act, which seeks to outlaw the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.
SB 2871 establishes a verification mechanism for chemical industries to control toxic chemicals that can be diverted for the production of chemical weapons.
It also bans and prohibits the transfer, possession, production, and use of chemical weapons in the country amid concerns that dual-use chemicals can be developed into chemical weapons.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, on Nov. 6 sought bipartisan support for SB 2871.
He said the bill’s passage is obligated by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), signed by the Philippines in January 1993.
He said that 31 years after the Philippines signed the CWC and 28 years since the Senate concurred in the ratification of the same, “we are one step closer to fulfilling our commitment of enacting a national legislation to fully implement its provisions.”
The Senate’s approval of the bill showed the Philippines’ commitment to “join the international community in the ongoing efforts to completely eliminate chemical weapons and prohibit its use,” Estrada said.
“Today, this institution demonstrates its dedication to global disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and strengthens existing regulatory policies to prevent utilization and diversion of chemicals for terrorism and non-peaceful purposes,” he added.
Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa said the approval of SB 2871 is a testament to the Senate’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations as a signatory to the chemical weapons convention.
It sent “a strong message to the international community that the Philippines is one with its purpose towards a world free of chemical weapons,” the senator said.
“The passage of this measure is also a timely tribute to the victims of chemical warfare as the international community recently observed the day of remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare,” Dela Rosa said.
Estrada noted that from Nov. 25-29, the Conference of States Parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was held in The Hague, Netherlands.
“Our country already reported to the body the positive developments in the crafting of this particular legislation,” the senator said. “We always stand ready to take on difficult issues and complex subject matters beyond our comfort zones and particular interests — in the name of performing our sworn duties, serving the Filipino people, and defending our beloved nation.”
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