Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to extend the suspension of abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States (US) for another six months, its foreign ministry announced on Monday, amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin in a video message said: “The president conveyed to us his decision to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the VFA by another six months while he studies and both sides further address his concerns regarding particular aspects of the agreement.” The top diplomat added that Duterte relayed the decision to Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez on June 14.
The US welcomed Manila’s decision to suspend the termination of the security agreement. In a press statement, the US Embassy in Manila said, “We welcome the Government of the Philippines’ decision to suspend termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) again. Our alliance continues to contribute not only to the security of our two nations but also strengthens the rules-based order that benefits all nations in the Indo-Pacific.” Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby also welcomed the move, saying, “We value the Philippines as an equal, sovereign partner in our bilateral Alliance. Our partnership contributes not only to the security of our two nations, but also strengthens the rules-based order that benefits all nations in the Indo-Pacific.”
This marks the third time that the Philippines has suspended the termination order. Without the latest renewal, the second suspension of the termination of the accord, which was announced last November, would have expired in August this year. In the meantime, Duterte is expected to study and further address Manila’s concerns regarding particular aspects of the longstanding accord. However, Locsin did not clarify what these aspects of concern were. The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs only said it is still “waiting for guidance from the Palace on the specific areas the President would like to look more closely into.”
The VFA came into effect in 1998 and provided a framework for the legal status to thousands of US troops in the Philippines for military exercises and promised humanitarian assistance. The initial termination notice of this treaty had previously concerned Washington about the fate of two other bilateral military pacts—a Mutual Defense Treaty and an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)—both of which depend on the VFA.
Although this accord is essential to maintaining bilateral relations for both countries, Duterte previously threatened to abrogate the military pact if Washington failed to deliver at least 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, this decision to suspend the said termination comes amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, where both countries have territorial disputes and continue to increase their military presence as deterrence in the volatile region. In March, Reuters reported that approximately 220 Chinese boats were found parked near the disputed Whitsun Reef by the Philippines’ coast guard. The Reef, which is known as the Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines, lies within Manila’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and has resulted in an escalation of tensions after 183 of the ships remained parked in the region even as Manila protested against Beijing’s aggression. The VFA is expected to provide the Philippines with US military backing to settle disputes of such nature for the next six months.