Art II

Section 2. The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally
accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace,
equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.

Art VII

Section 21. No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at
least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.

Vinuya v. RomuloGR 162230 April 28, 2010FACTS

This is an original Petition for Certiorari with an application for the issuance of a writ of
preliminarymandatory injunction against the Office of the Executive Secretary, the Secretary of DFA and
the OSG.

Petitioners are all members of the MALAYA LOLAS, an organization established for the purpose of
providing aid to the victims of rape by Japanese military forces in the Philippines during the
SecondWorld War.

Petitioners claim that since 1998, they have approached the Executive Department through the DOJ,DFA
and OSG, requesting assistance in filing a claim against the Japanese officials and military officerswho
ordered the establishment of the comfort women stations in the Philippines. However, officialsof
the Executive Department declined to assist them and took the position that the individual claims of the
comfort women for compensation had already been fully satisfied by Japan s compliance with
thePeace Treaty between the Philippines and Japan.ISSUES

WON respondents can be compelled to espouse their claims for official apology and other forms of
reparations against Japan before the International Court of Justice and other international
tribunals.HELD

NO. The authority for foreign relations matter is vested by the constitution to the political branches of
the government and not to the courts. Petitioners cannot assail the said determination by theExecutive
Department via the instant petition for certiorari.

It is well established that the conduct of foreign relations of our government is committed by
theConstitution to the executive and legislative - the political - departments of the government,
andpropriety of what may be done in the exercise of this political power is not subject to judicial
inquiryor decision

In this case, the Executive Department has already decided that it is to the best interest of the countryto
waive all claims of its nationals for reparations against Japan in the Treaty of Peace of 1951. Thewisdom
of such decision is not for the courts to question