US, Philippines to iron out 'differences' on VFA this month
By Roy Mabasa
The Philippines and the United States are set to meet this month to iron out their differences regarding the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which was suspended last year by the Duterte administration, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. disclosed on Monday.
(US Embassy in the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In an interview over ANC, Locsin said he is now in the process of narrowing down the issues before representatives from Manila and Washington meet sometime in the last week of February.
“The (VFA) suspension was intended that we should continue working and I’m narrowing down the issues and soon we will meet, I believe in the last week of February, and iron out whatever differences we have and come to an agreement,” he said.
The DFA chief, however, did not provide other details of issues to be discussed during the negotiations on the VFA.
“What that agreement is, of course, I don't wish to anticipate because that would weaken my position,” he said.
Almost one year ago, President Duterte ordered Locsin to abrogate the VFA weeks after the United States Embassy in Manila canceled the US visa of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa.
In June last year, the Philippines announced the suspension of the VFA termination, citing “political and other developments in the region” as the basis.
But in November 2020, the President directed Locsin to extend for another six months the suspension of the VFA’s termination to allow both sides to “find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in our mutual defense.”
The VFA, which took effect in May 1999, is an agreement between the US and the Philippines in support of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) of 1951. It provides procedures on how to handle issues that arise as a result of the presence of US servicemen in the Philippines.