Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday said he has asked Defense Chief Delfin Lorenzana to start the termination process of the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States in retaliation for Washington’s cancellation of former police chief and now senator Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa.
“Leaving for Washington DC on unrelated matters. But called @dndphl Sec Lorenzana as Vice Chair—I am Chair of VFA—to start process of terminating USFVA. Step 1 calling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee because on our side it is a treaty; on US side Executive Agreement,” Locsin said on Twitter.
Locsin is the chairman of the VFA while Lorenzana is vice-chairman.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened to scrap the VFA after Dela Rosa’s visa was revoked by the US government for his involvement in the government’s massive crackdown on illegal drugs that left thousands of drug suspects dead.
Duterte’s violent drug war has been criticized by the US, United Nations, European Union, human rights groups and other countries.
The 1999 defense treaty allowed American soldiers to participate in large-scale training with their Filipino counterparts in the country.
The framework agreement covered the treatment and presence of American forces in the country with or without war games.
“There is a view which I think I shared once—on pulling out of ICC as I did as UN ambassador—that while Senate concurrence is required to make a treaty; none is required to terminate it which is an entirely personal Presidential power. But that’s just a view,” Locsin said.
The VFA will also be utilized in the event there is a crime committed by US personnel in the country.
In scrapping the accord, the Philippines would have to inform Washington that it is revoking the agreement.
Meanwhile, it is not clear how the revocation of the VFA would affect another accord with the Americans – the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA.
