MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Aquino administration Tuesday, June 3, to comment on petitions to scrap the recent deal that gives the United States greater access to Philippine military facilities.

“The court, without necessarily giving due course to the petitions, required respondents to comment within 10 days from notice,” SC spokesman Theodore Te said in a media briefing.

The SC in particular said Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, among others, should comment on the petitions.

The SC’s order came after it received two separate petitions against the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US.

On May 27, leftist lawmakers, former lawmakers, artists, and activists filed a 101-page petition for certiorari and prohibition, asking the SC to declare the EDCA unconstitutional.

The petitioners also asked for a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the deal, while the court decides on the case.

A day before this, former senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto E. Tañada filed a similar petition before the high court.

The EDCA not only expands US access to Philippine military facilities. (READ: DOCUMENT: Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement)

It also contains provisions meant to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), strengthen its external defense, ensure maritime security, increase maritime domain awareness, and expedite humanitarian assistance and disaster response. (READ: PH primer on military pact with US)

The EDCA was signed on April 28 just hours before US President Barack Obama arrived for a two-day state visit to the country. – with a report from Buena Bernal/Rappler.com