MANILA, Philippines — Talk about biting off more than you can chew.

Neophyte Sen. Francis Tolentino on Wednesday fended off what could have been another drubbing as he declined Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon’s challenge for them to debate over President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Privilege speech

Drilon had contested the rookie senator’s claim in his privilege speech on Monday that the President had “exclusive and absolute power” in crafting the government’s foreign policy when he interpellated Tolentino after the latter had insisted that executive agreements did not need Senate approval.

To avoid another debate with Tolentino, the President’s former political adviser, Drilon said it would be best to hear the opinions of the country’s legal luminaries in a committee hearing.

When Tolentino insisted that his arguments were based on the 1987 Constitution, Drilon quickly replied: “I have already manifested earlier that I am willing to discuss these issues in a committee hearing. But if [Tolentino] wants to debate on the floor, I am ready.”

To chuckles from his colleagues, Tolentino responded: “I defer to the decision of the minority leader.”

Role of President

The veteran senator had earlier cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Saguisag vs Ochoa that Tolentino had mentioned in his privilege speech.

The ruling, Drilon said, “specifically states that the role of President in foreign affairs is qualified by the Constitution, giving particular importance to the sovereignty of the nation, the integrity of its territory.”

“It does not crystallize into the absolute discretion to craft whatever instrument the Chief Executive so desires,” said Drilon, a former justice secretary.

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