Termination Of US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement Suspended For Third Time
The government of the Philippines yesterday announced that it would be suspending its move to cancel its Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, the third such time it has done so.
In a video message posted on the social media accounts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theodoro Locsin Jr. said:
“The President conveyed to us his decision to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement for another six months while he studies, and both sides further address his concerns regarding particular aspects of the agreement.”
According to Locsin, the decision had been made following his meeting earlier on Monday with President Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippines’ ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana welcomed the suspension in an official statement. He said that the six months would be used to “further review the pros and cons of the VFA, especially regarding various concerns of mutual importance to our two countries, with the end in view of helping the President arrive at an informed decision on the matter”.
The suspension is the third time a six-month suspension of the agreement’s abrogation has been made, with previous suspensions made in November and June 2020. Duterte notified the US of Manila’s decision to terminate the agreement on February 11, 2020, after the United States abruptly terminated the visa of his long-time political ally and first police chief, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
In the year since the notification was sent, Washington and Manila have been negotiating a new legal framework governing the presence of US troops in the Philippines for joint training and disaster relief. Ambassador Romualdez said earlier this month that the negotiations had resulted in an “improved” Visiting Forces Agreement, saying that he was confident that it would receive final approval from Duterte.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not detail what matters remain to be resolved, saying that it was awaiting guidance from the President’s office. With both the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the US and the 70th anniversary of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Pact celebrated this year, the symbolic value of the ratification of a new and improved Visiting Forces Agreement would be difficult to understate, especially as Chinese presence amidst the Philippines’ South China Sea claims continues.