BILATERAL relations are important in the Philippines since it helps us grow in different areas, such as trade, security and humanitarian assistance. However, if not managed properly, it will lead to conflict. According to news reports, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa confirmed on Jan. 22, 2020 that his US visa had been canceled. It was reported that Washington revoked dela Rosa’s US visa as the country strengthened its crackdown on human rights violators. “Bato” is the architect of the Duterte administrations’ bloody campaign against illegal drugs. The senator blasted the US for being biased if indeed his US visa was canceled due to his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings (EJK) in the Philippines, which has left thousands of suspected drug users dead.
After the US government canceled the visa of the senator, a close political ally of President Duterte, Duterte officially sent the notice for termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). It was signed last Feb. 11 by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and sent to the US government.
According to news reports, the President formally sent notice to discontinue the 1999 VFA, which would take effect six months after the US received written notification. The VFA is a two-decade military pact between the US and the Philippines. This agreement provided a framework for the temporary entry of US troops to conduct joint training exercises with Filipino forces. The US provided more than $550 million in security assistance from 2016 to 2019, plus more than 300 joint training sessions. They also contributed intelligence, training and aid that allowed the country to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism. Additionally, they assisted Filipino forces to settle the siege by armed fighters aligned with the in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur in Mindanao in 2017. According to Foreign Secretary Locsin, the option of the Philippines to end the VFA was an exercise of sovereignty However, he warned the Philippine government about the consequences and risks if it were to revoke its VFA with the US, which served as a deterrent to Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
As a concerned citizen, putting an end to the long-term bilateral agreement with the US will have a negative impact on our national security, considering that we are weak in terms of defense equipment. This may result in jeopardy to our close bilateral relationship with the US, our sub-regional and multilateral level of agreement and most especially our economic relations. For two decades, US has been our main source of defense from any aggression from other states and from terrorism. Also, it helped maintain peace, stability, safety and security in the country. In our economic relations, US has been a major trading partner, our biggest export market and our fourth largest source of import.
Ending the VFA will lead to economic and security crisis since the US played a big role in our history. Moreover, this can also affect the existing programs between the two countries, such as youth exchange and study programs, which are important to Filipinos in order to gain new knowledge and skills for the future. It is not right to end the VFA just because Senator dela Rosa’s US visa was canceled.
Malacañang should be more reasonable. Instead of using a personal issue as a reason to end the Philippines’ relationship with the US, it should examine carefully the consequences of the decision. It will not just affect the economy and security of the Philippines, but also the lives of Filipinos who are hoping for our country to grow and develop so their lives will prosper too. Thus, the government should think twice, analyze the role of the US in our country and look into the lives of the Filipinos before making such a decision that could have a big impact on the whole country. (By Maricel Cuico and Twinkle Dimple Abucay, USJ-R International Studies students)