MANILA — Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta expressed his concern over what he described as the Philippines’ disadvantaged position in its trade and security relations with the United States during the recent courtesy call of US Senator Rick Scott at the Senate.

Marcoleta said he personally raised the issue in a meeting with Scott and other senators, particularly on the minimal reduction in reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Philippine exports to the US.

“Sa reciprocal tariffs, parang nadehado kami. Kasi kahit na binigyan n’yo kami ng discount, isang percentage point lang ang ibinigay n’yo sa amin [mula 20% tungong 19%],” Marcoleta said in an interview on Net 25’s Sa Ganang Mamamayan.

“Pareho kami ng Indonesia [na 19 percent]. Pero kung ikukumpara mo sa April rates ng Indonesia, 32 percent ang sa kanila…ang laki ng difference,” he pointed out.

“Sa Vietnam, mula 46 percent, ginawa n’yong 20 percent,” added Marcoleta, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship.

The senator said tariff rates should not be applied “across the board,” citing the negative impact on local industries, particularly semiconductors.

Marcoleta also highlighted what he called a long-standing issue concerning the 1951 PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

“Sabi ko, security allies kami pero ang pinirmahan nating Mutual Defense Treaty hanggang ngayon, walang naging advantage sa amin yun,” he said.

Quoting Article 2 of the treaty, Marcoleta added: “Nakalagay pa naman doon sabi ko, sa Article 2: ‘To more effectively… achieve the objective of this Treaty, Parties separately and jointly by self-help and mutual aid will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.’”

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly written to the US government about the issue.

Scott, who belongs to the Republican Party of former US President Donald Trump, paid a courtesy visit to the Philippine Senate as part of his engagements in the country.