Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said the Department of National Defense (DND) “fully supports” President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to extend the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) abrogation for another six months.
“The DND fully supports the President’s decision to suspend for another six months the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement,” Lorenzana said in a statement.
“Our bilateral cooperation with the U.S. is geared towards upholding our national interest and to the extent necessary to enhance the Philippines’ defense capability,” he added.
On Monday, Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced the government extended the suspension of VFA abrogation for another six months.
Locsin said President Rodrigo Duterte decided to suspend the termination of VFA so that both countries could study and address his “concerns regarding particular aspects of the agreement.”
“We are waiting for guidance from the Palace on the specific areas the President would like to look more closely into,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Also read: US Embassy, Pentagon welcome extension of VFA abrogation
National Defense welcomes VFA abrogation extension
The Defense chief said the additional six months would allow them to look into the VFA’s pros and cons.
“With the additional six months, we will further review the pros and cons of the VFA especially regarding various concerns of mutual importance to our two countries with the end in view of helping the President arrive at an informed decision on the matter,” he said.
The Philippine government formally sought the VFA abrogation on February 11, 2020.
In January, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said Thursday that the Philippines expects to settle issues concerning the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States under the administration of US President Joe Biden.
According to Romualdez, a bilateral dialog between the security forces of the Philippines and the US is planned.
“I’m quite confident na lahat ng mga issues sa ting visiting forces, mare-resolve yan. In fact, may planned bilateral strategic dialog between our Armed Forces and the Pentagon or the US Armed Forces,” Romualdez said.
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