In February 2020, the Philippines sent the United States a Notice of Military-Pact Termination. On July 29th, during Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit in Manila, the Philippine Defense Secretary tweeted that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) is “in full force again after Secretary Austin’s meeting with President Duterte. No challenge is insurmountable between longstanding allies that are committed to attaining shared goals of regional peace and stability.”
Thank you, Secretary @del_lorenzana, for discussing a range of defense topics, including President Duterte’s decision to fully restore the Visiting Forces Agreement. Today underscored the vital nature of our treaty alliance with Philippines, our oldest treaty alliance in Asia. pic.twitter.com/GCeac7D781
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) July 30, 2021
VFA is in full force again after Secretary Austin's meeting with President Duterte. No challenge is insurmountable between
longstanding allies that are committed to attaining shared goals of regional peace and stability.— Delfin Lorenzana (@del_lorenzana) July 30, 2021
Lorenzana: There was this termination letter that was submitted by the Philippines to the US informing that the VFA would be terminated in 6 months and the President extended it several times. That letter has been retracted so it’s as if nothing happened. The VFA will continue.
— Frances Mangosing 🇵🇭 (@FMangosingINQ) July 30, 2021
I just left a productive meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. We discussed the importance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance and the strong ties between our people. pic.twitter.com/wIHF3r21Aj
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) July 29, 2021
Here's my piece on the Philippines restoring the VFA with the US. Duterte moved to tear it up but then suspended termination process no fewer than three times. Now it's (sort of) safe. Suspect US will only breathe easy when Duterte leaves office however https://t.co/vXGqKuHb8a
— Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) July 30, 2021
Defense Secretary Lorenzana says the Philippines and the U.S. are discussing the details on custody of American troops, but it will not affect the terms of the VFA. https://t.co/adBxVAb2kD
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) July 30, 2021
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