The United States is asking the Philippines for a “longer” extension on the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to give both sides the time to negotiate “important concerns” in the agreement, US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said on Monday.
(DFA / MANILA BULLETIN)
Speaking to reporters shortly after laying a wreath at the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, O’Brien said he brought up the matter when he spoke with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. earlier in the day.
“We obviously like to see that longer. That's something I spoke with Secretary Locsin about, if we could extend for a further period of time so that we can have the negotiations to address the important concerns on both sides of the treaty and that agreement and not be up against any artificial deadlines,” said O’Brien who also led the turnover of defense weapon systems to the Philippines in a separate ceremony at the DFA main office in Pasay City.
Last November 11, President Duterte, through DFA Secretary Locsin, extended the suspension of the VFA abrogation by another six months, saying it would enable both sides to find a “more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement” on how to move forward in the mutual defense of the two countries.
The visiting US official said President Trump welcomed Duterte’s order to extend the VFA abrogation.
“We are grateful for this six months and I guess it would have been better if it was a year or longer,” he said.
In February this year, President Duterte ordered the termination of the VFA in apparent retaliation to the cancellation of the US visa of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa following the latter’s implication to human rights issues related to the administration’s bloody war-on-drugs campaign.