TWO recent top-level announcements from the governments of the Philippines and the United States, both about the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), may be seen as bolstering and reinforcing the friendly ties between the two long-time allies.
First, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced Monday night that he and Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez met with President Duterte and in that meeting, they were informed by the President that he is again extending by another six months the suspension of the abrogation of the VFA.
‘… the more friends, the greater capability we will have in defending the Philippine population from the onslaught of the coronavirus.’
To recall, Locsin, upon orders from the President, sent on Feb. 11, 2020 a notice of withdrawal of the VFA to the US Embassy in Manila. Article 9 of the accord provides that the withdrawal of American troops should take effect within 180 days from receipt of the notice of withdrawal. With the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic that same month, and the hope that the US would assist the Philippines in fighting the virus, Duterte had the good sense to order a stay of his earlier directive, and suspended the termination “for six months, and extendable for another six months.” With its third six-month extension, the Visiting Forces Agreement may well be upheld or restored by Malacañang.
The very next day of the Locsin announcement, the US Embassy in Manila welcomed the Philippines’ decision “to again suspend termination of the VFA” between Manila and Washington.
The embassy statement was reassuring, saying “our alliance continues to contribute not only to the security of our two nations, but also strengthens the rules-based order that benefits all nations in the Indo-Pacific.”
Locsin explained that the six-month extension of the suspension of the agreement’s termination will provide the Chief Executive enough time to study and both sides to further address the former’s concerns regarding particular aspects of the accord.
These series of suspensions of the VFA withdrawal notice somewhat erode the President’s stature as a leader, for vacillation and indecision are not the hallmarks of strong leadership, although equivocation is sometimes put to good use in diplomacy.
However, President Duterte has to sacrifice some dent in his image, knowing that we still need friends like the US in the middle of this pandemic, and the more friends, the greater capability we will have in defending the Philippine population from the onslaught of the coronavirus.
