Send VFA termination notice to US – Duterte

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order to formally notify the United States (US) of the Philippines’ intention to unilaterally withdraw from the two countries’ Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Malacañang announced on Friday.

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte instructed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to inform Foreign Affairs

Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to send to the US government the country’s notice that it was terminating the VFA.

“PRRD (President Duterte) is instructing ES (Executive Secretary) to tell SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) to send the notice of termination to the US government,” Panelo said in a text message to reporters.

“PRRD also is scheduled to talk [on the] phone with (US) President (Donald) Trump anytime,” he added.

Panelo, who also serves as Duterte’s top legal counsel, had earlier claimed that the process to scrap the VFA has already started.

Duterte’s decision to pull Manila out of the VFA stemmed from the cancellation of the US visa of his ally,

Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

The US did not cite the reason for the former police chief’s visa cancellation, but the incident happened soon after American senators passed a resolution that sought to impose some sanctions against Philippine officials responsible for the detention of Duterte’s staunch critic, Sen. Leila De Lima.

The VFA is a pact inked between Manila and Washington in 1999 that allows US troops to train and advise the Philippine military in its fight against terrorists but bans US forces in combat operations.

Under the VFA, the pact will remain in force until the expiration of 180 days from the date on which either party gives the other party notice in writing that it desires to terminate the agreement.