INTRODUCTION After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the soil the United States of America, national securithas been one of the most pressin! issues and primarconcern for the "hilippines# $ence, the "hilippines turned to the United States of America for militarassistance, enhancement and up!radin! of "hilippine militarskills and e%uipment throu!h the &isitin! forces a!reement '()A*# $o+e&er, the a!reement is %uestioned on its constitutionalitsince some of the pro&isions are in contrarto the Constitution and the so&erei!ntof the "hilippines# (isitin! )orces A!reementRepublic of the "hilippines and United States of America The &isitin! forces a !reement '( )A* is an accord bet+een the Rep ublic of the "hilippines 'R"* and the United States of America 'USA* that pro&ides the -le!al frame+ork for the treatment of US personnel &isitin! the "hilippines as appro&ed bthe "hilippine !o&ernment. /10# In ratifin! the a!reement in 11, the "hilippine senate clearlunderstood that the &isitin! forces a!r eement, as the le!al mechanism to promote defense cooperation bet+een the t+o countries, enhancin ! the preparedness of the Armed )orces of the "hilippines a!ainst e2ternal threats3 and enablin! the "hilippines to bolster the stabilitof the "aci4c Area in a shared e5ort +ith its nei!hbor states# In its essence, the a!reement is aimed at -impro&in! the R"6US combined plannin!, combat readiness, and interoperabilit+hile enhancin! securitrelations +ith the !oal for the American militarpro+ess to support the Republic of the "hilippines a!ainst e2ternal a!!ression. /70# 8oreo&er, as a le!al frame+ork, the a!reement pro&ides importa nt !uidelines that +ill de4ne the standards on the interaction bet+een the US and the "hilippine armed forces# It also las do+n the obli!ations ofeach partin the duration of the a!reement# 9efore the &isitin! forces a!reement is concei&ed, rati4ed and enforced in 1, its roots can be traced +aback in 1:; +hen the "hilippines attained its independence and self6!o&ernance from the United States of America# After liberation, the "hilippines +as not et totallin dependent as e&identlse en in the acts of the United States of America to maintain its in<uences benterin! into di5erent economic, trade, political and securita!reements or treaties# One of the most si!ni4cant trea ties that the "hilippines entered into +ith the US +as the "hilippine = American 8ilitar9ases A!reement '89A* on 1: 8arch 7>>? /@0# It is stipulated in this a!reement that -a militara!reement b+hich the /"hilippines0 !ranted the /United States of America0 the ri!ht to retain the use of bases in "hilippines for a period of ears, to permit the US to use such bases as /it0 madetermine accor din! to militarnecessit, and to enter into ne!otiations +ith the US concernin! the e2pansion of such bases.# )urther stipulations in the a!reement include a creation of a militarad&isor!roup +hich +as later named the oint U#S#