Philippines Duterte deals blow to US by terminating troop pact

MANILA, February 11

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday terminated a two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States (VFA) delivering on threats to downgrade an alliance crucial to the US interests. “The mercurial Duterte, who has clashed with the former colonial ruler over several issues, has decided to pull the plug on the two-decade troop rotation pact to enable the Philippines to be more independent with its relations with other countries,” spokesman Salvador Panelo said. “The President will not entertain any initiative coming from the US Government to salvage the VFA, neither will he accept any official invitation to visit the United States,” Panelo said in a statement. The decision, sparked by the revocation of a US visa held by the former police chief, who led Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, could complicate the US military interests in the Asia-Pacific as China’s ambitions rise. It will also limit Philippine access to US training and expertise in tackling Islamist extremism, natural disasters and maritime security threats. Panelo said Duterte’s decision was a consequence of the US legislative and executive actions that “bordered on assaulting our sovereignty and disrespecting our judicial system”. The US embassy in Manila called it “a serious step with significant implications”. “We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests,” it said in a statement. The defence pact sets out rules for US soldiers to operate in the Philippines and is one of three governing what Washington has called an “ironclad” relationship despite Duterte’s tirades about the US hypocrisy, ill-treatment and ageing weapons. Duterte says the United States uses the pacts to conduct clandestine activities like spying and nuclear weapons stockpiling, which he says risk making the Philippines a target for Chinese aggression.

‘WE MUST HAVE A SAY’

Some senators sought to block Duterte’s move soon after news of it broke, arguing that without Senate approval he had no right to unilaterally scrap international pacts it had ratified. “We must have a say on this important matter,” Senator Richard Gordon told the house. Some lawmakers are concerned that without the VFA, two other pacts would be irrelevant, namely the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement made under the Obama administration, and a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty. Those cover dozens of annual training exercises and broaden access of U.S. air, navy and army forces and equipment to the Philippines, as well as bind the two countries to defend each other from external aggression. Reuters