Locsin waiting for Duterte’s direct order to inform US of VFA termination

February 6, 2020

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Thursday that he was waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte's "direct" order to formally inform the United States of the Philippine government's intention to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement.

During a Senate inquiry, the Department of Foreign Affairs chief , however, acknowledged that the Philippine "robust" relations with US may be affected if it would abrogate the VFA.

Instead, he called for a "vigorous" review of the military treaty.

"At this point, I think vigorous review of Visiting Forces Agreement is called for," he said.

When asked by Senators Francis Tolentino and Franklin Drilon if the Philippine government has notified US of it intention to end the more than two-decade old treaty, Locsin said, "We have not yet sent notice of termination but we are prepared to do so." 

He said he was just waiting for the President's "direct personal" order to communicate with Washington.

The VFA provides that it would remain in force until the expiration of 180 days from the date on which either party gives other party notice in writing that it desires to terminate the agreement.

Late last month, Duterte has ordered the concerned government officials to start the process of terminating the VFA following the US decision to cancel the visa of administration Senator Ronald dela Rosa.

It was not clear why the US canceled the lawmaker's visa. But America recently passed a law, which includes barring Filipino government officials who were allegedly involved in human rights violations and the continued detention of opposition Senator Leila de Lima.

Dela Rosa was then Duterte's top official of the Philippine National Police which launched an all-out war against illegal drugs, resulting in the death of over 5,000 individuals already.

In his opening statement, Locsin cited the benefits that the Philippines has been enjoying with its robust relations with the US, such as in trade, tourism, grant aid, and technical assistance for the Defense department, among others.

He said all of these might be put in "jeopardy" if the government would end the VFA.

But he said those benefits he cited were just based on the data gathered by his predecessors.

Locsin sought for an executive session where he wanted to discuss "supervening facts" why the need for vigorous review of the VFA. Celerina Monte/DMS