'Lifeline' for US-Philippines defense treaty?
(Baonghean.vn) - The Philippine ambassador to Washington said on February 28 that the US-Philippines military agreement recently abrogated by President Rodrigo Duterte could still be salvaged. The statement raised hopes in both countries about the possibility of retaining one of Asia's oldest military alliances.
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| US soldiers use amphibious assault vehicles during a military exercise with the Philippines in April 2019. Photo: Reuters |
Negotiations are underway to find a solution, but alliance will prevail, recognizing the importance of the United States as a global power, according to Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to Washington.
“From what I understand, this door is not completely closed,” he said at a forum.
Romualdez asserted that both countries are exploring how they can “polish” and “improve” the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), possibly taking the Philippines’ military pact with Australia and a similar agreement in the process of being negotiated with Japan as models.
Earlier this month, Mr. Duterte caused a stir when he announced the termination of the VFA, expressing anger at the cancellation of a U.S. tourist visa for one of his former police chiefs due to concerns by some U.S. lawmakers about human rights issues.
The VFA, which expires next August, sets out rules for rotating thousands of US troops in and out of the Philippines for mock combat and numerous annual exercises.
His opponents were angered by what they saw as a show of force, and some lawmakers who usually sided with Duterte urged him to reconsider a move that could weaken an under-resourced military that frequently faces natural disasters and insurgents.
The Philippines' efforts to protect the alliance show opposing views within the Duterte administration and legislature on the leader's foreign policy direction, especially his openly hostile approach to the United States, where millions of Filipinos have relatives, according to Reuters.
Without free movement of US personnel, experts say the other two mutual defense agreements would be meaningless and efforts to procure and operate US defense equipment could become difficult.
It would also reduce Washington's options in the Pacific, complicated by the long-standing US military presence in Japan and South Korea, and only limited US military engagement elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
