MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo insisted that there is an official order from President Rodrigo Duterte to send a formal notice to the United States for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Panelo came up with a statement on Saturday night after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana branded as “fake news” the President’s fresh directive, which was released by the Palace spokesperson on Friday.
“I was quoting PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) of what he told me,” Panelo said in a short message to the media. “There was no inconsistency in the President’s stance on the VFA.”
Panelo insisted that Duterte has instructed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to inform Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. of his latest order to notify the US about the revocation of the 22-year-old VFA.
“What (Lorenzana) meant is (Medialdea) has yet to receive the instruction. That is what (Medialdea) also told me last night — that he has not received the instruction yet from PRRD. There is no inconsistency,” Panelo said.
“If he (Duterte) has not given the instruction yet to ES, it does not mean the (information) I shared with media is untrue. It only means ES has not yet gotten the directive from PRRD,” he added.
President Duterte has earlier ordered the termination of VFA due to US senators demand the release from detention of opposition senator Leila De Lima; US Senate resolution condemning drug war; amendment to US budget barring entry of Philippine officials linked to De Lima’s arrest; and cancellation of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa.
Ratified by the Philippine Senate in 1999, the VFA allowed US troops to train and advise the Philippine military in disaster response and anti-terrorist operations, but banned US forces from participating in combat operations.
Under the two-decade military pact between the Philippines and the US, the VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Expiration will come 180 days from the time either party notifies the other./PN
