MANILA, Philippines — The fate of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the US remains uncertain as President Rodrigo Duterte wants Washington to explain why China was not required to withdraw its ships during the 2012 Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal standoff.
Duterte said he would only discuss the military pact with Americans if the US can explain in simple terms why Chinese ships were not compelled to leave the shoal, a traditional fishing ground off the province of Zambales. The US brokered the deal, which prompted the previous administration to pull out the Philippines' ships from the area. China did not withdraw its ships, allowing it to gain control of the fishing ground.
"The VFA now is the problem. We have a big problem because America served as the broker (of the agreement) and we withdrew. Why did they not force China to withdraw also? Unless they can explain it to me in a very simple way that can be understood by the entire Philippines, then I can begin to talk about their foreign forces," Duterte said during an interview with religious leader Apollo Quiboloy aired last Tuesday.
"Pero ‘pag hindi, medyo malabo. Malabo, malabo ‘yan. Sobra tayong binabastos ng Amerikano talaga (If not, then it's unlikely. It's really unlikely. The Americans really disrespected us)," he added.
The VFA allows Filipino and American troops to hold joint military exercises in the Philippines to strengthen their capabilities. Last year, Duterte warned that he would terminate the 1998 agreement after the US had canceled the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief and a key figure in the president's controversial war on illegal drugs.
Malacañang had claimed that the US Senate resolution linking the Duterte administration to human rights violations, the call of some American lawmakers to release detained opposition senator Leila de Lima, and the US travel ban against individuals behind her detention had also prodded the President to abrogate the pact.
Despite his sharp criticisms against the VFA, Duterte has postponed the termination of the deal twice, deferring its abrogation in June and in November.
Last February, Duterte said the US should "pay" the Philippines if it wants to keep the agreement, saying the pact involves a "shared responsibility." A few months later, the President said the VFA is "up for renegotiation."
Neutral foreign policy
In the same interview, Duterte assailed critics who claim that he is favoring China, which is embroiled in a longstanding row with the Philippines over areas in the West Philippine Sea.
"These people do not know me and they do not really know also foreign policy. I don't know who prodded them to open their mouths about foreign policy," Duterte said.
Duterte, who has distanced himself from the US to pursue what he described as an independent foreign policy, maintained that he won't allow any country to set-up military bases in the Philippines.
"Foreign policy is just being neutral. I am neutral in the sense that I do not favor one country (over) the other nor would I allow any of those countries to be in the Philippines to establish military bases," the president said.
"But America must come clean. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands," he added.
Last February, Duterte claimed that the US is turning Subic into a military base, a move that he said places the Philippines at risk if a conflict erupts. He claimed that American forces have stored several weapons in the Philippines but did not provide specifics.
"The theater of war, if ever it starts, is in (South) China Sea. We insist on being Americans, we should be provided with the arms and armaments that’s capable of at least - that would place us on equal footing with the other countries at war with us because China would really target us. But Americans are not giving anything," Duterte said in a public address last Feb. 15.
Duterte also said he is closer to Russia on a personal level and that he does not know anyone from the US. He recalled asking Russia for firearms after some American lawmakers had opposed the sale of thousands of rifles to the Philippines because of his human rights record. The President claimed that the Russian government supplied the firearms to the Philippines with no strings attached.
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