MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte is urging the public to decide what happened to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the US, because, he believes, it may endanger life Filipinos at risk, keynote speaker Harry Roque said Thursday.
The VFA, signed in 1998, allows U.S. troops to be deployed to the Philippines, a former U.S. colony, for military exercises, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Duterte suspended the deal last year in an angry response to the denial of a U.S. visa to a Filipino grandfather and political relative. The withdrawal period has been extended twice, however, to allow what officials say is a window for better conditions.
On Wednesday night, however, the president said in a televised speech that he had not yet decided what should be done with the deal and wanted to “hear the people,” because he advised Filipinos express his views through the government telephone line.
“What I heard him (Duterte) say yesterday is that we will pay a very high price for American troops and equipment to be here in the Philippines, because if a burning war breaks out between America and its enemies, and Filipinos will surely be the first to die, ”Roque told reporters.
“Their lives would be in danger if Americans stayed in our area,” he said.
While justifying Duterte’s move to seek public opinion, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said. he said in a tweet that the president is “a populist so it makes sense to get public awareness of VFA.”
He said, however, that Duterte should also consult with the military, citing complaints from some officers who have reportedly received “shady treatment” from their American peers. during US-Philippines joint exercises.
The VFA is considered an important anchor for the US position in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this month, Duterte said Washington must pay if it wants to maintain a two – decade military deployment agreement with its country, especially as China ‘s power and influence grows in the region.
“It’s a general duty, but your share of the responsibility doesn’t come for free.” But after all, when the war starts, we all pay, “he said. “We’re closer to the garrison there, where there’s a lot of arsenals of Chinese armed forces.”
Although the U.S. did not respond to Duterte’s request, they vowed to continue finding ways to strengthen and promote security cooperation with the Philippines, the region’s “oldest” alliance.
“We appreciate our alliance with the Philippines, the oldest in the Asia-Pacific region,” the State Department said in an email to Arab News.
“Open communication between the allies is essential to building the strength of an alliance that is essential for the security of both countries.”