BY VICTOR REYES and ASHZEL HACHERO
THE Philippine government is delaying the termination of its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States for six months due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday night announced that President Duterte has decided to suspend the termination of the 1999 treaty which governs the conduct of US forces while in the country on joint military training exercise with their Filipino counterparts.
Lorenzana said the President’s message was conveyed to the US Embassy in Manila on Monday.
The US Embassy, in a statement, welcomed the decision and said Washington is “looking forward to continued close security and defense cooperation” with Manila.
The DFA has notified the US of its intention to abrogate the VFA last February 11. The termination was supposed to take effect 180 days after the notice was served, or in August.
The Philippine decision to terminate the VFA was prompted by the US government’s decision to cancel the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former PNP chief who led the government’s war on drugs. The US decision angered Duterte.
Lorenzana said he was told by the President sometime last month that it was not timely to end the VFA because of global efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“The reason that I was told is because of this current pandemic, plus we need the cooperation from the other countries. We need to cooperate with other countries to fight the pandemic,” said Lorenzana.
“The President thought that it’s not timely to end the VFA at this time, that’s why he suspended (the termination of the VFA). He said it’s not timely to end the VFA because of what’s happening worldwide. That’s the only reason that he said,” he added.
With the suspension, Lorenzana said the Philippine and US armed forces would continue engagements in the fight against terrorists and in responding to calamities and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are a lot of benefits that we get from this Visiting Forces Agreement,” said Lorenzana. Nevertheless, he said the Americans also “learned enough from us.”
Lorenzana said he expects more assistance from the US in the next six months to address COVID-19. The US Embassy has already provided P780 million worth of COVID-19 assistance, including personal protective equipment.
“Well in six months, this is my only guess, the assistance of the US will increase to fight the pandemic. They already gave us some help, assistance very recently, especially in providing equipment in our quarantine facilities,” he said, adding: “The Philippine defense establishment is ready to continue working closely with our US counterparts to find solutions to common concerns such as the ongoing pandemic that has greatly affected both our countries.”
Lorenzana said the DND and the AFP will be coordinating with the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces Agreement “on issues that need to be addressed” brought about by the development.
“In times of crises and global uncertainty, it is our belief that nations are only made stronger if we work together and focus our efforts on tackling the various challenges that confront us all,” said Lorenzana.
STRONG MILITARY PARTNERSHIP
Locsin said the Philippines will maintain a strong military partnership with the US government.
“We look forward to continuing our strong military partnership with the US even as we continue to reach out to our regional allies in building a common defense towards enduring stability and peace and prosperity in our part of the world,” Locsin said in a hastily-called press briefing at the DFA main office.
“Let me assure all of you that this decision, this action alarms no countries in Asia and the rest of the world. On the contrary, it greatly reassures everyone,” he added.
Locsin also defended Duterte’s change of decision. “A man who does not change his mind cannot change anything. He ran on the slogan change is coming,” he said.
He added that due to swiftly changing circumstances of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened superpower tension, a leader must be quick to think of the safety of the country and the world.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Duterte’s decision was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and developments in the South China Sea where China, the Philippines and other countries have competing territorial claims.
This as he said that he discussed for some time now the possibility of a suspension of the VFA termination with US Ambassador Kim Sung when they talked about additional possible US assistance to the country to combat the spread of the virus.
“The political reason, obviously, is there are quite a number of things happening in the South China Sea and very clearly we see that,” Romualdez told ABS- CBN news channel in an interview.
Though a close friend and military ally reinforced by the existing Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951, Duterte has sought to realign the country with China and Russia, two of Washington’s traditional rivals.
WELCOME MOVE
Senators welcomed the executive department’s move to suspend the termination of the VFA even as they maintained that they will not withdraw their petition with pending with the Supreme Court seeking clarification on whether Senate concurrence in the abrogation of international treaties is needed.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the country is now assured that other agreements included in the VFA like the Mutual Defense Treaty are still in place.
“But the pending issue in the SC remains. We will still ask the SC whether the abrogation (of international treaties) must have the concurrence of the Senate. That question remains, that will not be touched,” Sotto said in a virtual interview with the media.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon said the “sudden policy change is a welcome development” since the unhampered implementation of the VFA will serve the country’ interest, “particularly with regard to the preservation of our rights over parts of the West Philippine Sea.”
Drilon said abrogating the VFA at this time, especially when China is very aggressive in its claims in the West Philippine Sea, was ill-timed.
“This turnaround does not affect the case that we filed before the Supreme Court. The petition we filed is for declaratory relief and mandamus where we asked the Supreme Court to uphold the power f the Senate over treaty termination. The fact that the VFA is reinstated will not render our case moot and academic,” Drilon said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the President’s decision is a welcome development in relation to the country’s defense and economic security since it is a fact that the country cannot stand alone to protect ourselves “from harassment coming from those intrusions.”
“The Philippines needs the VFA especially now that Chinese intrusions into our territory, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, have become commonplace. The last thing we should lose is the balance of power that the USA, among other allies like Australia and other ASEAN neighbors, can provide to suit our national interest and territorial integrity,” Lacson said.
Dela Rosa said neither has the US given back his visa nor has he applied for a new one.
“Foreign policies can be flexible at times depending on the realities obtained in the bilateral, regional, or global area of foreign relations. That suspension of termination is a welcome development,” Dela Rosa said.
Sen. Richard Gordon said the decision is also indicative of Duterte’s open-mindedness and willingness in reviewing decisions that impact the country’s national interest. He said the temporary suspension will enable the executive and legislative branches of the government to arrive at a common position on the concurrence and withdrawal procedure for treaties and international agreements.
SC ACTION
Yesterday, the Supreme Court directed Malacañang to answer the petition filed by the Senate last March.
SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said the decision to direct the Office of the President to answer the petition was reached during Tuesday’s en banc session.
“The SC indeed required the Office of the President to comment but as to how many days given to submit the comment, I am having it checked and verified to be sure,” Hosaka said.
A highly-placed source in the SC said justices have given Palace executives 10 days to file its comment.
In their plea, Sotto and his colleagues asked the SC to order Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Locsin to course the notice of withdrawal to the Senate.
They also asked the SC to render a decision whether the termination or withdrawal from an international agreement earlier approved and concurred by the Senate also requires the concurrence of two thirds of the member of the Upper Chamber.
Under the 1987 Constitution, an international treaty needs the concurrence of two thirds of the member of the Senate but there is no clear requirement when the Philippine government wishes to quit a treaty.
Joining Sotto in the petition were Drilon, Lacson, Gordon, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. — With Raymond Africa