(Eagle News)– Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday, Jan. 24, said he and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were “starting the process of terminating” the Visiting Forces Agreement.
In a Tweet, Locsin, who is chair of the VFA, said this was being done “by first contacting the Senate because it is a treaty on our side, an executive agreement on the US side.”
The Foreign Affairs secretary issued the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to cancel the treaty, which allows US bases in the country, if the US did not “correct” what it did with Senator Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa.
Dela Rosa has said his US visa had been cancelled.
Although the US embassy did not give a reason for the cancellation, Dela Rosa said he believed it was because of his role in the drug war, which the US has repeatedly said was marred with extrajudicial killings.
Lorenzana has said the US’ move against Dela Rosa was a “direct affront” to Duterte as architect of the drug war.
“I am warning you kapag hindi ninyo ginawa ang correction diyan (if you don’t issue a correction) I will terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement,” the President had said in a speech in San Isidro, Leyte on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Earlier, Duterte already slammed the US in public speeches for what he said was its interference in Philippine affairs.
He has vowed never to set foot in the US.
Only recently, he said he would not attend a summit in Las Vegas in March with Southeast Asian leaders even upon US President Donald Trump’s invitation.
