Earlier this month, the Philippines sent a letter to the United States ending the Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA. That security pact allowed the presence of US troops in the country, for joint exercises and training, as well as cooperation in counter-terrorism. The decision by Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte was announced after the United States canceled a visa for one of his political allies. Asked if scrapping the VFA was a knee-jerk reaction, Duterte claimed the Philippines should not need the help of other countries to survive.
To discuss all of this:
- Richard Heydarian is a columnist at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- Qinduo Xu is a senior fellow at the Pangoal Institution.
- John Sitilides is a geopolitical strategist with Trilogy Advisors.
- Brian Becker is the executive director of the ANSWER coalition.
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More on the Web:Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said Filipino forces can fight insurgents and Muslim extremists without American military help, in a defense of his recent decision to terminate a U.S. security pact. https://t.co/UuRSBtLfth
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) February 26, 2020
Finian Cunningham thinks that for the Philippines to reject US military partnership is a severe blow to America’s global status and an audacious put-down to Washington’s self-importance as a protectorhttps://t.co/UCvZQM0ZgG
— RT (@RT_com) February 17, 2020