PH suspends termination of Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with US — DFA

It remains as such – status quo.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin has announced that the Philippine government has decided to suspend the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States of America (USA) "in light of the political and other developments in the region."

Locsin made the announcement in his Twitter post, saying President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to inform the U.S. Embassy in Manila of the government's decision on the suspension of the VFA termination.

Balikatan military exercises
(photo credit to owner)

In his post on Twitter, Locsin said, "I issued this diplomatic note to the US ambassador. It has been received by Washington and well at that. The Note is self-explanatory and does not require comment except from me. The abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement has been suspended upon the President’s instruction."

(screengrabbed from DFA Sec's Twitter account)

The diplomatic note said, "In light of the political and other developments in the region, the termination of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the United States Regarding the Treatment of the United States Visiting Forces Visiting the Philippines...is hereby suspended."

In the same diplomatic note it added the suspension shall start  "on even date," and will go on for six months and could extend for another half a year.

(screengrabbed from DFA Sec's Twitter account)

"After which, the tolling of the initial period in Note Verbale No. 20-0463 dated 11 February 2020 shall resume," it said.

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Report from CNN Philippines

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