MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to hear the public opinion on whether to push through the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the country and the United States (US) or not.
In his public address on Wednesday evening, the President said he wants to hear the opinions of Filipinos before he makes a decision on the VFA.
“I must be frank, I do not keep secrets. I have not yet decided on what to do. Meaning to say, to abrogate or renew (the suspension) because I want to hear the people,” said Duterte said
“I want the narratives to come up. Not necessarily from the Congress, ang ordinaryong mamamayan can have the say. There’s always the 8888 and you can enter your objections and comment that you would think would help the country,” he added.
His statement came weeks after he told the American government to “pay” if they wanted VFA to continue.
Prior to Duterte’s demand, the US and Philippine officials have met to settle differences over the two-decade-old VFA. The meeting is said to be the first under the administration of US President Joe Biden.
Ties between the US and the country have been complicated since Duterte’s rise to power in 2016 due to his frequent statements condemning US foreign policy, and open embrace of China.
Duterte ordered the scrapping of the VFA last year following the cancellation of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa, as well as the criticism of some US senators against his drug war.
The termination was supposed to take effect in August 2020. However, the scrapping was shelved for six months in June. The six-month suspension ended in December.
The VFA, a military pact signed between the Philippines and the US in 1998, allows American troops who are participating in joint military deals to visit Manila sans passport and visa./PN
