MANILA – The Malacañang explained that President Rodrigo Duterte was just maintaining the country’s national interest when he demanded to the United States (US) that it should pay to retain the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
“Hindi po ito extortion. Iyan ay isang pagtaguyod ng pangnasyonal na interes ng mga Pilipino. Dahil marami tayong gastusin lalung-lalo na sa COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), bakit hindi tayo sumingil nang sa ganun ‘yung pera na makukuha natin ay magagamit para sa COVID-19 response natin,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday.
Citing a report from the Stimson Center on counterterrorism spending, Roque said the country only gets loose change from the Americans for hosting American soldiers.
“Ang nakuha natin ay $3.9 billion. Malaki ba yan? Naku, barya po yan kung ikukumpura doon sa nakukuha ng ibang bansa. Ang Pilipinas ang pinakamaliit o isa sa mga pinakamaliit na natatanggap na military assistance,” Roque said.
“What the President wanted is just compensation, hindi barya, hindi bulok na equipment. If the Americans don’t agree, there’s the President’s previous declaration that he will terminate the VFA,” he added.
According to Roque, the Philippines will be affected if a shooting war breaks out between the US and China.
“Pag nagka giyera, sasantuhin ba tayo maski sabihin natin na hindi tayo kasali sa kanilang gulo? Hindi po dahil pinayagan natin ang presensya ng mga kasundaluhang Amerikano at ang kanilang equipment dito sa Pilipinas,” Roque said.
In his speech at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Friday, Duterte said “I’d like to put on notice if there is an American agent here that from now on. You want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? You have to pay,” which was viewed by Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Panfilo Lacson as a form of extortion./PN
