MANILA – The termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States will not be good for the country, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.
During his appearance in the Senate, Locsin said continuing the VFA will be more beneficial to the country and termination of it will negatively impact the country’s defense and security arrangements.
“The continuance of the agreement is deemed more beneficial to the country compared to any benefits were it to be terminated,” Locsin said. “The Philippines’ contribution to the regional defense was anchored in our military alliance with world’s last super power.”
Terminating the VFA, he said, would negatively impact the country’s defense and security arrangements as well as the overall bilateral relations of the Philippines with the US, perhaps even in sub-regional and multilateral levels,”he added.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs is looking into the Philippines’ defense and military agreements with the US after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the termination of the VFA following the US’ cancellation of Sen.r Ronald Dela Rosa’s visa.
No reason was given for the cancellation of the visa but the US federal budget for 2020 contained a provision banning the entry into the US of Filipino officials involved in the detention of Sen. Leila de Lima.
Locsin’s latest pronouncement was despite him saying late last month he already asked Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana to start the termination process.
The Philippine government has yet to send to the US any notice to terminate the VFA.
“I have prepared the notice of termination but it has not been sent upon the orders of the President,” Locsin said. “Perhaps, we should review the VFA. Certainly we should do that because I don’t believe that just because we need them we should suffer insults to our sovereignty.”
He added: “There is value in revisiting the VFA to address matters of sovereignty such as jurisdiction and custody and early resumption of clarificatory talks should serve as basis, as well as jump off point for a review of the VFA.”/PN
