MANILA • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored a crucial pact governing the presence of US troops in the South-east Asian nation, the two countries' defence ministers said yesterday, reversing a decision that had caused increasing concern in Washington and Manila.
The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) provides rules for the rotation of thousands of US troops in and out of the Philippines for war drills and exercises. It has assumed additional importance as the United States and its allies contend with an increasingly assertive China.
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was unsure why Mr Duterte had reversed his decision to terminate the pact, but that he made the decision after meeting US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday.
Mr Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque later said the President's decision was "based on upholding the Philippines' strategic core interest... and clarity of the US position on its obligations and commitments under the MDT (Mutual Defence Treaty)".
Mr Duterte's decision will not change much on the ground as the pact had not been terminated but it provides stability for both countries.
Mr Austin said during a news conference with his Philippine counterpart: "This provides certainty for us going forward. We can do long-range planning and do different types of exercises."
The Philippines is a US treaty ally, and several military agreements are dependent on the VFA.
Mr Duterte vowed to terminate the pact after the United States denied a visa to a Philippine senator who is an ally of the President. But he had repeatedly pushed back the expiration date, the last time last month, maintaining it until the end of the year.
For the US, having the ability to rotate in troops is important not only for the defence of the Philippines, but strategically when it comes to countering China's assertive behaviour in the region.
Mr Greg Poling, who is with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: "(Mr Duterte's decision) opens up significant possibilities for strengthening the alliance that were otherwise closed."
There are long-standing tensions between the Philippines and China over disputed waters in the South China Sea.
The US this month repeated a warning to China that an attack on Philippine forces in the South China Sea would trigger a 1951 US-Philippines mutual defence treaty.
Philippine presidential elections are set to be held next year, and while Mr Duterte is barred by the Constitution from seeking re-election, his party has been encouraging him to run again for office, as vice-president.
REUTERS
