VFA is kaput: Duterte sends letter to US starting VFA termination process, will call Trump

MANILA. Hours after his top diplomat signalled lawmakers that the Philippines stood to lose billions in American assistance, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Foreign Affairs Department to start termination proceedings for the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

“President Rodrigo Duterte] is instructing [Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea] to tell [the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr.] to send the notice of termination to the US government,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters.

Mr. Panelo said the president is scheduled to speak with US President Donald Trump through a phone call “soon.” However, it is not yet clear when that call will take place and what they will discuss.

He added that he is not sure whether it was the President or Mr. Trump who asked for the phone call.

This came a day after Mr. Locsin told a Senate panel looking into the VFA that the president ordered him to hold off transmittal of the termination notice that he said had already been prepared.

“I have prepared a notice of termination but it has not been sent upon the orders of the President,” he revealed.

“While the Philippines has the prerogative to terminate the VFA anytime, the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any predicates were it to be terminated,” Mr. Locsin added.

Under the two-decade military pact between the Philippines and the US, the VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries.

Expiration will come 180 days from the time either party notifies the other.

Mr. Duterte ordered to scrap the VFA as a drastic response to the US government’s move to cancel Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa’s visitor’s visa.

Mr. Locsin briefed lawmakers on US military assistance that include some $267 million (P13.6 billion) in military financing and procurement of defense equipment from 2016 to 2019.

He added the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stands to receive $200 million (P10.14 billion) for aircraft, training, equipment and construction; and $45 million (P2.2 billion) in foreign military financing for the period 2020-21.

Some 319 activities designed to “enhance” Filipino troops’ capabilities “in countering threats to national security” were also slated in 2020 alone, he said.

“Without the VFA, the US Departments of State and Defense may have difficulty in requesting funds from the US Congress for FMF (foreign military financing) and other defense assistance programs to the Philippines.”