Meeting of Philippines-US standing committees on defense, security to push through on March 11-13

March 5, 2020

The meeting of the standing committee of the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagment Board (MDB-SEB) between the United States and Philippines will continue despite the possible termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

"The standing committee meeting is on 11 to 13 of March. There are three cycle the standing committee meeting, excutive committee meeting, and the mutual defense board meeting," a senior military official who requested anonymity said on Thursday.

The meeting will be held in the Philippines.

The source said the Philippines and US officials will discuss and make recommendations for next year's activities.

"The parties will recommend activities for 2021, then the construction, location, activities that are non military and military in nature. But since it now includes the VFA, what we will do, let's just agree to disagree on what will be our strategy. Do we still continue? Do we not continue?," the source said.

The official explained activities between Philippines and United States will remain despite the possible termination of VFA.

"The point of the matter is we just continue discussing. Anyway it's just discussions, then we will look into those that will be affected and will not be affected by the (termination of) VFA, because we still have the Mutual Defense Treaty," the source said.

"It is just the VFA that might be removed, so any activity attached to VFA can be cease, but the Filipino students that will be sent to US are not included in VFA so it will continue...," the source added.

The source said those activities that will be affected by the abrogation of VFA are exercises related to Security Engagement Board.

"The Security Engagement Board is attached to the VFA, these are the counter terrorism, the transnational crime then human induced disasters etc. etc.," source said.

Last month, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. mentioned that for this year there a total of 318 MDB-SEB activities, of which 155 are SEB and 163 others are MDB activities. Robina Asido/DMS