WEDNESDAV TEBRUARY

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 TTERMINATES FROM A1
PH terminates VFA
Trump and "others" tried to "save"
the \4A,
Panelo, however, said the two
presidents have not talked.
"Perhaps there have been some
emissaries sent to the president
about the desire of the president
ofthe US," rhe spokesman added.
Panelo said the decision to end
the agreement "is a consequence
ofa series oflegislative and execu-
tive actions by the US govemment
that bordered on assaulting our
sovereignty and disrespecting our
iudicial s1stem."
He added that the President
believed that the Philippines "can
not forever rely on other coun-
tries" for the state's defense and
should instead strengthen its own
resources "for our defenses."
The Bayan.Muna partyJist wel-
comed the government's move.
'This is good news for all the
victims of US military atrociriefin
the country And since President
Duterte. is apparently serious in
removing American troops from
our land, then we advise hirn to
take it funher and abrogate the US-
PH Mutual Defense Treaty: Bayan
Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said.
"lt is good rhat the Duterte
government has made true this
bluff but we caution him against
signing another lopsided military
agreement with a different global
military superpowet one that
would violate our sovereignty,
and put us in danger of being
involved in conflicts that are not
ours, " he added.
No exercises
A US official warned that rhe ioinr
exercises and operations between
Marila and Washington might end
with the abrogation of the \TA.
R. Clarke Coopet US State
Department's assistant secreiary
for political-military affairs, said
in a telephone news briefing that
a bila,teral suategic dialogue would
be hdld between the nryo counrries
in March where they are expected
to discussvadous issues including
the VFA.
The US has mor€ than 3OO
engagements and different exer-
cises conducted bilaterallv with
the Philippines such as theyearly
"B a I i ka t a n' (shorider-to-shoul-
der) exercises, which trains philip-
pine soldiers on counterterorism
u
llga,putlt:
e)
and maritime defense.
"What's at risk without a VFA?
Well, without a \TA, it puts at dsk
things like these engagements,
like these exercises," Cooper told
reporters.
"So again, from an interagency
standpoint at home in the United
States, and from the inter-ministe-
rial standpoint in Manila, there's
a recognized, broad value of not
only maintaining our Enhanced
Defense Cooperation Agreement
that will beget further procure-
ments and interoperability be-
tween the US-Philippines alliance,
but the very practical application
of a Visiting Forces Agreement
that enables these attivities like
poft calls/ like engagements, like
exercises, " he explained.
Cooper said a "significant
amount" of resources would also
be put to risk.
He explained that the \TA pro-
Ner'&eo/
vides a fiamework that allows the
US to conduct various activities
with their Philippine counterparts.
Without the VFA, Coopersaid ,,we
do put at risk those ac vities that
the different defenses, the different
services in the Philippines very,,
much value."
"Because ofoutstanding shared
I ,
interests when iI comes to [ree-
dom of navigalion. lreedom of
movement, joint securiry interests,
future procurements this is pan
-
ofthe broader dialogue as to why
there remains value in the Visit-
ing Forces Agreement," Cooper
pointed out.
The US has been vocal in op-
posing intrusions into disputed
territories, including the South
China Sea (West Philippine Sea),
which China is clairning.
WITH DEMPSEY REYES
AND DIVINA NOVA JOY
DELA CRUZ