Duterte warns US: Don't store nuclear weapons in PH

President Duterte is prepared to seek the pullout of the American forces in the Philippines if they bring nuclear weapons into the country.

The President said he would terminate the visiting forces agreement (VFA) between the two countries right away should he receive verified information the Americans have stored such weapon of mass destruction into the country.

The presence of nuclear weapons is prohibited under the country's Constitution.

"I am warning you that if I get hold of  hard information that the nuclear armaments are here brought by you, I will immediately ask you to go out and I will terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement ora mismo (immediately),” the President said during a press conference Sunday, Feb. 28.

The President claimed that the American forces have installed arms depots in the country, admitting that he could not stop them yet amid existing military defense deals.

"The arms are stored everywhere in the Philippines, baka hindi niyo alam (in case you don't know). May mga depots (They have depots) all around the Philippines," he said.

"Sinabi ko sa kanila (I told them) I cannot stop you because we have yet to renegotiate the Visiting Forces Agreement," he added.

The President earlier wanted to scrap the military pact over alleged unequal provisions and US meddling but agreed to defer the termination for a year amid global challenges such as the pandemic.

The VFA, signed between Manila and Washington in 1998, spells out the guidelines for US troops when visiting the Philippines. It also affirms the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperate Agreement that allows US soldiers to conduct joint exercises with Filipino troops.

Recently, Duterte told the United States to pay if it wanted to retain the VFA with the country.

Back in February 2020, the President deplored the United States' alleged disrespect of the country's sovereignty while expressing concern about the possible nuclear arms brought into the country.  He is worried the country might be adversely affected in case of a full blown conflict between the two superpowers -- US and China -- in the region.

"Iyong America --- we will be hit because the arms are here and I really do not know --- walang (There is no) accounting if there are already nuclear arms inside the Philippines brought in by the Americans," Duterte said.