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(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte may suspend the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement for another six months. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the comment in a television interview aired on Wednesday, Nov. 4. “But anyway, what I am saying is, there is no immediate rush for the President to decide because the notification we sent to the Americans gives them at least one year leeway before it’s abrogated,” Roque said. The President ordered the suspension […]
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte’s position on the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement remains unchanged. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the clarification on Thursday, June 4, adding the President only suspended the abrogation of the VFA, which governs the conduct of American soldiers taking part in military exercises in the Philippines. A diplomatic note sent by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to Washington said the suspension of the termination for at least […]
(Eagle News)–Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, June 3, said the country looks forward to “continuing our strong military partnership with the United States even as we continue to reach out to our regional allies in building a common defense towards enduring stability and peace and continuing economic progress and prosperity in our part in the world.” The Foreign Affairs chief made the statement following the suspension of the agreement that governs the […]
(Eagle News)–The Philippines has suspended the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said. According to a diplomatic note issued to US Ambassador Sung Kim and posted on the Foreign Affairs Secretary’s Twitter account, the suspension of the termination of the agreement, which governs the conduct of US forces who take part in military exercises in the Philippines, was “in light of the political and other developments in the region.” […]
(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, March 9, stood firm on his decision to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement. They cannot compel me. I refuse to be compelled. I have terminated it, tapos ang problema ko,” he said. The President issued the statement after several senators went to the Supreme Court to ask it to declare any abrogation of a treaty or an agreement requires the approval of at least 2/3 of the Senate. The […]
(Eagle News) — Several senators on Monday, March 9, asked the Supreme Court to declare that the withdrawal from a treaty or an international agreement requires the concurrence of 2/3 of all members of the upper chamber for it to be valid. In the petition for declaratory relief and mandamus personally filed by Senate President Tito Sotto, Senator Richard Gordon, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo Lacson before the Supreme Court, the senators […]
(Eagle News)–All Cabinet members support President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy decisions, including the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement. This was the response of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s allegations some Cabinet members expressed apprehensions over the revocation of the agreement that governs the conduct of American soldiers in the country as they conduct military exercises with their Philippine counterparts. “Yung mga nakausap namin, more or less, halos unanimous naman sila na […]
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is not interested in forging military pacts with other countries. This is according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who was interviewed on ANC on Friday, Feb. 21. “Tinanong ko siya, ‘Are you open to military forces agreement with other countries? No. For as long as I am President, no,” Panelo quoted the President as saying. Panelo made the remark after the Philippines terminated the Visiting Forces Agreement with the […]
(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte’s termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement is “epically wrong,” Senator Leila de Lima said. In a statement, De Lima said for one, the VFA, after all, “is an important cog in a whole system of defense and security arrangements with the US that includes the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)..” She said the Philippines “has benefitted for many years, particularly in the matters of joint […]
(Eagle News)–It still remains to be seen if President Rodrigo Duterte will stick to the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison said. In a statement, Sison said it would also be “laudable” if Duterte scraps all other military agreements with the United States. Sison said it was, however, “difficult or impossible to believe” that Duterte would do this. For Duterte to scrap the Enhanced Defense Cooperation […]
(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 […]
(Eagle News)–The timing and reasons for the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement are “way off the mark,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said. In a statement, Lacson said that while “we will survive,” in the meantime, “we remain exposed to terrorist threats, both domestic and foreign, not to mention the continuing security threat in the West Philippine Sea posed by China, and even the need for timely humanitarian response and assistance that the US is capable […]
