(Eagle News)–If US President Donald Trump were president of the Philippines, he would have also junked the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Palace said.
“Given his character and principled stand on a matter of national interest, [Trump] would have done exactly the same thing he had done..,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
According to Panelo, if President Rodrigo Duterte were also the US President, “he would have given the same reaction.”
Because of Trump’s “circumspect and judicious reaction” to the Philippine government’s termination of the VFA, Panelo said Duterte expressed his support for Trump’s re-election.
“President Trump is a good President and he deserves to be re-elected,” Duterte, according to Panelo, said.
The Philippine government terminated the VFA after the US cancelled Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s US visa.
Dela Rosa said he believes it was because of his role in the drug war, which the US has repeatedly criticized.
The former national police chief said Duterte’s threat to scrap the VFA was due to one-sided relations.
Trump said he was “fine” with the scrapping of the VFA agreement, saying the US would save money with the move as well.
