VERA Files
Underscoring the warming of relations between the Philippines and the United States under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Balikatan 2023 started on April 11 with 17,600 Filipino and American soldiers participating, the largest gathering of forces in the history of the Balikatan Military Exercises.
Matapos ideklara noong nakaraang taon na “hindi niya sisirain” ang kanyang desisyon na wakasan ang Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) ng bansa sa United States (U.S.), binawi at ibinalik ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kontrobersyal na military deal bilang “konsesyon” kasunod ng donasyon ng mga COVID-19 vaccine ng Washington.
After declaring last year that he would “not renege” on his decision to terminate the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States (U.S.), President Rodrigo Duterte backtracked and reinstated the controversial military deal as a “concession” following the donation of COVID-19 vaccines by Washington.
Mula sa pagmamalaking “hindi kailangan” ng Pilipinas ang United States para “mabuhay bilang isang bansa,” si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, sa pamamagitan ng kanyang secretary of foreign affairs, ay nagdesisyon na ipagpaliban muna ng hindi bababa sa anim na buwan ang pagwawakas ng Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) dahil sa mga “pampulitika at iba pang mga kaganapan sa rehiyon” sa kasalukuyan.
From stressing that the Philippines “did not need” the United States to “survive as a nation,” President Rodrigo Duterte, through his foreign affairs secretary, is now citing “political and other developments in the region” to delay by at least six months the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Anytime now, we expect the Senate as a body to question before the Supreme Court the unilateral termination by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of our obligations under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States of America.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III has told reporters that the Senate will be asking the Supreme Court Monday to rule on whether the president can unilaterally abrogate a treaty without the concurrence of the Senate that ratified the pact.
President Rodrigo Duterte could unilaterally abrogate the 1951 RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) once the Supreme Court decides that he has the authority to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), retired Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned on Friday.
Kinontra ni Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo ang mga bagong hinirang na Armed Forces Chief Felimon Santos Jr., na nagsabing “isusulong” ng Pilipinas ang pag-apruba ng mga visiting forces agreement (VFA) sa ibang mga bansa.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo contradicted newly appointed Armed Forces Chief Felimon Santos Jr., who said the Philippines will “push” for the approval of visiting forces agreements (VFA) with other countries.