President Duterte ordered the retraction of VFA termination, according to Lorenzana.
On Friday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the retraction of the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
In a press conference with visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, Lorenzana said that President Duterte decided to recall or retract the termination letter for the Visiting Forces Agreement.
“The President decided to recall or retract the termination letter for the VFA,” said Lorenzana.
Lorenzana’s announcement came a day after President Duterte met with Austin in Malacañang.
The VFA was an implementation of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty forged by the United States and the Philippines as security partners after World War II. It was a framework agreement that covered the treatment and presence of American forces in the Philippines with or without war games.
Also, the VFA also made it possible for the US military in order to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in combating extremist groups by providing enemy surveillance and technical assistance to Filipino troops battling the militants.
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Austin, for his part, said on behalf of the United States, he appreciated the decision of President Duterte to “fully restore the VFA”.
“A strong, resilient US-Philippine alliance will remain vital to the security, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. A fully restored VFA will help us achieve that goals together,” Austin said.
Austin also said that his top agenda during his visit to the Philippines was to find ways to boost the alliance — including support for the modernization of the Philippine military, maritime cooperation, and investment to navigate the region.
Meanwhile, Malacañang on Friday said that President Duterte’s decision to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States upheld the country’s interests above all.
“The President’s decision to recall the abrogation of VFA is based on upholding the Philippines’ strategic core interests, the clear definition of Philippines-United States alliance as one between sovereign equals, and clarity of US position on its obligations and commitments under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
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