The Philippines, To Because Or To Not Because

[JasonJ]

Yes, I can entirely see the dumbing down and reduction in capablity of the phillipines army is entirely to the interest of the United States. Even more to the interests of the PRC I would have thought.

Hello Stuart

 

Thank you for the post

 

Some thoughts I will share compressed in 30 seconds

 

Ready go!

 

There are reasons for appreciation for US forces in the Asia-Pacific! Thank you!

 

Philippines is possibility most pro-US country in the world. So would be ironic if US forces can't train there any more.

 

But in collective security framework for Asia-Pacific, reduction of US overall commitments might be fair.

 

If the VFA does indeed expire, other countries need to step up presence in the Philippines, most in particular Japan and Australia.

 

Although the Philippine side also mentioned Chin-

 

*BRRRRRR*

 

Times up, sorry, thank you for coming onto the program.

Thank you for having me John.

 

[Nobu]

Yes, I can entirely see the dumbing down and reduction in capablity of the phillipines army is entirely to the interest of the United States. Even more to the interests of the PRC I would have thought.

 

The amount of effort Donald has put into Washington's Philippines policy has been essentially non-existent, and it shows, unfortunately.

[Stuart Galbraith]

The amount of effort the Donald puts into ANY foreign policy is non existent. He shows up, he gets the photo op, he says whatever important problem is solved, and that's it. He has been doing it time and again from London, to Palestine to North Korea. Rinse and repeat.

 

 

 

Yes, I can entirely see the dumbing down and reduction in capablity of the phillipines army is entirely to the interest of the United States. Even more to the interests of the PRC I would have thought.

Hello Stuart

Thank you for the post

Some thoughts I will share compressed in 30 seconds

Ready go!

There are reasons for appreciation for US forces in the Asia-Pacific! Thank you!

Philippines is possibility most pro-US country in the world. So would be ironic if US forces can't train there any more.

But in collective security framework for Asia-Pacific, reduction of US overall commitments might be fair.

If the VFA does indeed expire, other countries need to step up presence in the Philippines, most in particular Japan and Australia.

Although the Philippine side also mentioned Chin-

*BRRRRRR*

Times up, sorry, thank you for coming onto the program.
Thank you for having me John.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I can entirely see the dumbing down and reduction in capablity of the phillipines army is entirely to the interest of the United States. Even more to the interests of the PRC I would have thought.

Hello Stuart

Thank you for the post

Some thoughts I will share compressed in 30 seconds

Ready go!

There are reasons for appreciation for US forces in the Asia-Pacific! Thank you!

Philippines is possibility most pro-US country in the world. So would be ironic if US forces can't train there any more.

But in collective security framework for Asia-Pacific, reduction of US overall commitments might be fair.

If the VFA does indeed expire, other countries need to step up presence in the Philippines, most in particular Japan and Australia.

Although the Philippine side also mentioned Chin-

*BRRRRRR*

Times up, sorry, thank you for coming onto the program.
Thank you for having me John.

 

I dont see Australia as very interested, although it would be a useful bulwark to any PRC naval bases being setup closer to them.

 

Japan? Well that isnt happening and we know it.

 

South Korea? That would be interesting. But it would take a complete rethink in their foreign policy to be more balanced on the region, than just predicated on what happens across their border and hating Japan.

[JasonJ]

...

 

 

I dont see Australia as very interested, although it would be a useful bulwark to any PRC naval bases being setup closer to them.

 

Japan? Well that isnt happening and we know it.

 

South Korea? That would be interesting. But it would take a complete rethink in their foreign policy to be more balanced on the region, than just predicated on what happens across their border and hating Japan.

Well the reason I say Japan and Australia is because they are the next countries in terms of frequency after the US that have conducted joint-training with the Philippines. Also, it is both those two countries that have carried out maritime patrols in the South China Sea in the name of checking PRC ambition in there. So as far joint-training and activities in opposition to China's 9 dash line, Japan and Australia are ahead of South Korea. All this time, I have not seen one example of South Korea putting out a mouth piece against the 9 dash line nor any an example of actually carryinh out joint-training in the Philippines. What South Korea does offer is equipment for sale, such as the FA-50 aircraft or the new frigates, although the new frigates are quite scandalous by being too expensive for their worth, delays, and designed for but not equipped with certain systems, VLS IIRC. Additionally, in political surveys conducted by the Philippines like those on the previous page don't even register ROK while Japan and Australia are there. And then in an ASEAN survey carried out by a Singapore group, throughout the questions, ROK hardky registers at all. Particularly the last question asking "who would you pick for your strategic partner if the US is out?" and from the Philippines, Japan got 45%, Australia got 25%. China got 10%. ROK got 0.0%.

http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34256&page=69&do=findComment&comment=1464387

 

So I'm saying so from a position of observation, not preference. I'm not hammering ROK or anything like that. It is what it is. If ROK would join and be more active and cooperative, then that would be great. But as far as recent activities go, it's clearly Japan and Australia that'll have to hold the front. Even India and the EU have done more than ROK in regards to the South China Sea.

Edited February 17, 2020 by JasonJ

[Nobu]

I was expecting Washington to at minimum make it clear to Manila that leaving the family without its blessing would have consequences. What we have seen from Washington's lack of policy is the opposite.

 

What the Philippines may be seeing from the lack of consequences is that America actually needs it more than it has let on.

[Corinthian]

Smallpox and nukes. That was my answer to a US Peace Corps volunteer assigned here when I was asked what it would take to fix the culture of corruption in the Philippines. Smallpox and nukes.

 

Apparently, that is also the answer to the question on what is needed to fix the Philippines entirely.

 

Fucking hate this country and the people who voted the same old idiotic shitheads into government. More so this time. Expect Beijing to bankroll the presidential campaign of Duterte's daughter. They already have at least two Senators in their payroll (Bong Go and Dela Rosa).

 

There is no redeeming value in this country anymore. I'd rather the USA nuke us out of generosity.

 

Duterte tried to make it appear Trump was trying very hard to save the VFA. Duterte's gamble failed when Trump basically said "Guess you don't need us then. Bye!" Trump knows the Philippines needs the USA more than the USA needs the Philippines.

 

So what do we have now? Consider the Philippines a de facto Chinese province already.

 

Fuck it all. Just fucking sow smallpox and nuke the country.

[JasonJ]

Wasn't the Philippine's fault that China became the largest economy in the region. They got fingers in everyone. A little country only makes it self the odd one out by going against the grains of economic forces and pays for it by being at an economic disadvantage compared to other countries economically engaging with China.

 

Even Breitbart made a fact-check article pointing out that Trump was wrong in his allegation about saving the Philippines of IS.

 

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump contended this week that the United States saved the entire Philippines from Islamic State terrorism. His assertion vastly overstated both the threat IS posed to the country and what the U.S. did about it.

 

His statement, the facts and the backstory:

 

TRUMP: “We helped them defeat ISIS. … But if you look back, if you go back three years ago, when ISIS was overrunning the Philippines, we came in and, literally, single-handedly were able to save them from vicious attacks on their islands.” — reacting Wednesday to Manila’s notification that it will end a security pact allowing U.S. forces to train in the country.

 

THE FACTS: The Philippines were far from overrun by the group.

 

In May 2017, in the operation touched on by Trump, more than 600 IS-aligned local militants, backed by foreign jihadists who only numbered in the dozens, laid siege to Marawi, a small Islamic city in the largely Roman Catholic country. They held control of several neighborhoods and multiple buildings. Philippine troops launched a massive offensive and routed them after five months. U.S. and Australian aircraft helped with surveillance.

 

It was by no means a single-handed U.S. military achievement.

 

Overall, the number of IS-linked militants in this country of more than 100 million people has been extremely small, just a few hundreds. They are from a selection of tiny armed groups largely confined to the jungles of two southern islands and patches of marshlands in the central part of southern Maguindanao region.

 

Several dozen American military personnel have been stationed in the south for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency training and to provide intelligence to local troops. There has been no evidence that even a few Americans took part in actual combat in the past decades.

 

___

 

THE BACKSTORY

 

Since the 2013-2014 rise of the Islamic State in the Mideast, very few from the organization have come to the southern Philippine areas where Filipino extremists have a presence.

 

IS offered bomb-making training, Islamic lectures and money and helped plot attacks, while giving a few dozen of its young fighters exposure to combat in this part of the world.

 

 

On Trump’s point that IS fighters are defeated in the Philippines, there haven’t been enough of them for Philippine leaders to make such a declaration. But they have repeatedly said that Filipino militants linked to the group have been significantly weakened by Philippine offensives.

 

Having U.S. troops in combat would breach the Philippine constitution and be opposed by the Philippine government, its military and defense leaders, nationalists and left-wing groups.

 

President Rodrigo Duterte made known his displeasure with the U.S. before and after he rose to the presidency in 2016. President Barack Obama had expressed alarm over Duterte’s deadly anti-drug crackdown, angering the brash Philippine leader.

 

On Tuesday, Duterte gave notice to the U.S. government of his administration’s intent to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows the entry of large numbers of U.S. forces for joint training with Filipino troops.

 

Trump said: “If they would like to do that, that’s fine. We’ll save a lot of money. ”

https://www.breitbart.com/news/ap-fact-check-trump-didnt-save-the-philippines-from-is/amp/

[Stuart Galbraith]

Smallpox and nukes. That was my answer to a US Peace Corps volunteer assigned here when I was asked what it would take to fix the culture of corruption in the Philippines. Smallpox and nukes.

 

Apparently, that is also the answer to the question on what is needed to fix the Philippines entirely.

 

Fucking hate this country and the people who voted the same old idiotic shitheads into government. More so this time. Expect Beijing to bankroll the presidential campaign of Duterte's daughter. They already have at least two Senators in their payroll (Bong Go and Dela Rosa).

 

There is no redeeming value in this country anymore. I'd rather the USA nuke us out of generosity.

 

Duterte tried to make it appear Trump was trying very hard to save the VFA. Duterte's gamble failed when Trump basically said "Guess you don't need us then. Bye!" Trump knows the Philippines needs the USA more than the USA needs the Philippines.

 

So what do we have now? Consider the Philippines a de facto Chinese province already.

 

Fuck it all. Just fucking sow smallpox and nuke the country.

Ive got just one thing to say to you Tomas. Wolverines!

 

We are seeing a similar selling out here with Huawei. Politicians just see Chinese money rolling in and they cant help themselves. Its not just the Phillipines, even if you seem to have got it worse than most.

[JasonJ]

It should be noted that the largest investors in all sorts of fields in the Philippines in recent years hasn't been China. Top three biggest have been Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands.

[Nobu]

If nothing else, Duterte's daughter punching what I assume was a neighborhood local sheriff in the face was entertaining.

 

Maturation of the Filipino democratic process is inevitable, in part because of how low a bar they have set. The 2022 election will be interesting, and possibly violent.

[Murph]

I'm really sorry to hear that things are that bad in the PI, I was hoping it would get better.

[Brian Kennedy]

Smallpox and nukes. That was my answer to a US Peace Corps volunteer assigned here when I was asked what it would take to fix the culture of corruption in the Philippines. Smallpox and nukes.

 

Apparently, that is also the answer to the question on what is needed to fix the Philippines entirely.

 

Fucking hate this country and the people who voted the same old idiotic shitheads into government. More so this time. Expect Beijing to bankroll the presidential campaign of Duterte's daughter. They already have at least two Senators in their payroll (Bong Go and Dela Rosa).

 

There is no redeeming value in this country anymore. I'd rather the USA nuke us out of generosity.

 

Duterte tried to make it appear Trump was trying very hard to save the VFA. Duterte's gamble failed when Trump basically said "Guess you don't need us then. Bye!" Trump knows the Philippines needs the USA more than the USA needs the Philippines.

 

So what do we have now? Consider the Philippines a de facto Chinese province already.

 

Fuck it all. Just fucking sow smallpox and nuke the country.

If it helps I have many badass Filipino friends here in Cali, who have awesome jobs and are pillars of society etc. also Longanisa is the best sausage.

[JasonJ]

To follow up on it.

MANILA, Philippines The Duterte administration is not seeking a new deal that could possibly replace the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, Malacañang said Sunday, even as it gave assurance that existing defense pacts with other countries won't be touched unless there are "compelling reasons" to do so.

 

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Babe Romualdez has been quoted as saying that Manila and Washington are finding ways to come up with an agreement similar to VFA, which was terminated by President Rodrigo Duterte due to what he described as "disrespectful" acts of some American officials.

 

Military agreements involving Japan and Australia may be used as templates for the new pact with the US, the envoy was quoted by news reports as saying.

 

But presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the talks about a possible new agreement with the US are not sanctioned by Duterte.

 

"Actually I was talking to Ambassador Romualdez. He denied it. It's like he was saying that they are studying other agreements, whether they are disadvantageous or advantageous to the country," Panelo said in a radio interview.

 

Romualdez, who spoke at a forum organized by think tank Stratbase ADR Institute on Friday, said: "We are now in the process of trying to find ways and means to be able to see how we can either come out with something similar, perhaps again still following the president's thinking about the sovereignty issue."

 

But Panelo said on Sunday that this is not so.

 

"Wala, walang basbas ni Presidente. Initiative siguro yun ng counterparts ni Ambassador Romualdez. Siyempre, sila ang apektado, eh kaya sila ang magi-initiate ng mga magandang panukala (The talks were not sanctioned by the President. Perhaps it was an initiative of the counterparts of Ambassador Romualdez. Of course, they are affected so they would initiate good proposals)," he added.

 

Palace: Duterte determined to scrap VFA

Panelo said the president, who has been accused of human rights violations by some American senators, is determined to scrap the VFA.

 

"Even assuming it's true, these are just recommendations to the president. The president's position remains unchanged. He still wants to scrap the VFA. He wants us to be self-reliant. That's his main point," the Palace spokesman said.

 

Panelo previously said the president has four reasons for terminating the VFA, which allows Filipino and American forces to conduct joint military drills in the Philippines. They are the approval of a US Senate resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines; the call of some American senators to release detained opposition senator Leila de Lima; the US travel ban against people behind the arrest and detention of de Lima; and the cancellation of the US visa of senator and former police chief Ronald dela Rosa.

 

Panelo also denied that the US-Japanese Status of Forces Agreement and the Philippines-Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement would be used as references for a new agreement with the US.

 

"What he (Romualdez) was saying was the agreements involving Japan and Australia are good and they can serve as bases in the future. But the president said he does not want (a new deal with the US)," Panelo said.

 

Other military deals

Panelo said existing military agreements with other countries would not be terminated unless there are "compelling reasons" to do so. He said interference with Philippine sovereignty could be one of the reasons that would prod Duterte to drop an agreement with another country.

 

"Now, if you ask, how about the pending military agreements with other countries? They would continue because there is no reason for the president to terminate that for now," Panelo said.

 

"The VFA was terminated because he (Duterte) does not want, as a matter of principle, interference with or attacks against our sovereignty...it has been disadvantageous to us plus the fact that our country believes we have to stand on our own as a country. We can't always rely on other countries for our defense."

 

Panelo said the president has no reason to scrap military agreements with other countries for now. He, however, floated the possibility that the Philippines may no longer renew the deals once they expire.

 

"But eventually, kasi meron namang expiry period 'yan, eventually siguro hindi na ire-renew 'yan. O kaya naman, kung meron na namang dahilan si presidente (they have expiry periods. Eventually, perhaps they would no longer be renewed. Or maybe the President would cite reasons)," the Palace spokesman said.

 

The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia does not actually have an expiration period and "shall remain in force until the expiration of

one hundred eighty (180) days from the date on which either Party gives the other Party notice in writing, truough diplomatic channels, that it desires to

terminate the Agreement."

 

The Philippines and Japan, meanwhile, signed a "Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges between the Ministry of Defense of Japan and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines" in 2015.

 

Asked what deal would no longer be renewed, Panelo reiterated that existing military agreements like those with Australia and Japan would not be touched by the president "unless there is a reason compelling him to do so."

 

MDT, EDCA 'still there'

Pressed about the status of Philippines-US military pacts Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), Panelo replied: "Sa ngayon nandyan pa 'yon. Pero eventually paunta na tayo doon (For now, they are still there. But we will get there)."

 

"In other words, since the VFA strengthens the two agreements...if you remove it, that means the two deals would weaken. Then you will get there. If the basis of the president is to be self-reliant, all the logical consequences will come."

 

The Philippines and the US signed the MDT in 1951 to strengthen their defense capabilities and to prepare themselves for possible external attacks. The EDCA, meanwhile, was signed in 2014 and provides US forces access to some Philippine military bases.

 

Panelo said Duterte does not need to order the security cluster to review the MDT and the EDCA.

 

"These are always reviewed by concerned agencies. They don't have to be told by the president," he said.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/03/01/1997299/palace-no-new-defense-agreements-us/amp/ Edited March 1, 2020 by JasonJ

[Ssnake]

"Becoming self-reliant" is a BS argument. The Philippines could do so while the VFA was still in force. They no longer believe that the US is the naval top dog in the region, and try to align with China while it looks like they're doing this out of their free will and initiative. And it looks as if all other agreements are going to be terminated as well, sooner or later.

 

Welcome to the new Chinese Co-Prosperity sphere.

[Ssnake]

Duterte is on China's payroll

 

Yeah... I can't come up with an explanation that I'd call "more plausible" with a straight face.

[Mikel2]

"Becoming self-reliant" is a BS argument. The Philippines could do so while the VFA was still in force. They no longer believe that the US is the naval top dog in the region, and try to align with China while it looks like they're doing this out of their free will and initiative. And it looks as if all other agreements are going to be terminated as well, sooner or later.

 

Welcome to the new Chinese Co-Prosperity sphere.

The PRC will surely be merciful overlords.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Mikel2

[Nobu]

Duterte should be on Japan's payroll.

[JasonJ]

"Becoming self-reliant" is a BS argument. The Philippines could do so while the VFA was still in force. They no longer believe that the US is the naval top dog in the region, and try to align with China while it looks like they're doing this out of their free will and initiative. And it looks as if all other agreements are going to be terminated as well, sooner or later.

 

Welcome to the new Chinese Co-Prosperity sphere.

I agree with your first two sentences.

 

To the third, there's no doubt that the US is the most powerful, even still in the region. But among ASEAN countries the question mark is on political commitment, not strength. But that doesn't seem to be related to the VFA. "They" is the Duterte administration and a few others. Most of the Philippines favors the US and that should not be forgotten. That will be tested in the next presidential election in 2022 though. As for other agreements, well Duterte has been rather anti-US from the beginning of his term (2016), cursing out Obama, but in Japan's case, some years ago near the beginning of his term, he was asked about Japanese atrocities, and he said it was all water under the bridge. And since then, I haven't noticed in aggressive words towards Japan by him. But instead, he invited Abe to his house. So long as the Japan side doesn't conjure up a sense of entitlement like how sometimes Nobu expresses his points ( ), the Japan agreement should be safe. But that agreement is lighter than the VFA which may have a good point. US troops seem to have fewer restrictions under the VFA than other visiting forces agreements and that might be a fair point to concede. Another point not directly as a response to your post but Duterte and the Philippines in general have drawn criticism for its anti-drug campaign from the US. Which is fair criticism as a stand alone. But China has the seem thing with human rights violations going on. And yet while there is criticism from the US side about China and the support given to HK, trade is still massive between the two. So to penalize little countries while having little real penalty on the big one doesn't reflect speaking from the basis of human principles very well. So its kind if down to "meh". To pile on was a POTUS that has been saying "allies take advantage of us" etc all along. With both Trump and Duterte being elected in 2016, its actually a bit of a wonder that the VFA lasted until 2020.

 

There will be the annual large scale joint exercise between the US and Philippines called Balikatan this May. So it'll happen while the VFA is still in effect. So hopefully it'll go well with a sense of that US forces will return again if the Philippine administration wants to make a new visiting forces agreement under the next Philippine presidency.

Edited March 2, 2020 by JasonJ

[JasonJ]

 

"Becoming self-reliant" is a BS argument. The Philippines could do so while the VFA was still in force. They no longer believe that the US is the naval top dog in the region, and try to align with China while it looks like they're doing this out of their free will and initiative. And it looks as if all other agreements are going to be terminated as well, sooner or later.

 

Welcome to the new Chinese Co-Prosperity sphere.

 

The PRC will surely be merciful overlords.

Japan got the reconstruction of Subic Naval base plan. PRC got some influence but will be short from making a new province out of the Philippines.

[Nobu]

 

Smallpox and nukes. That was my answer to a US Peace Corps volunteer assigned here when I was asked what it would take to fix the culture of corruption in the Philippines. Smallpox and nukes.

 

Apparently, that is also the answer to the question on what is needed to fix the Philippines entirely.

 

Fucking hate this country and the people who voted the same old idiotic shitheads into government. More so this time. Expect Beijing to bankroll the presidential campaign of Duterte's daughter. They already have at least two Senators in their payroll (Bong Go and Dela Rosa).

 

There is no redeeming value in this country anymore. I'd rather the USA nuke us out of generosity.

 

Duterte tried to make it appear Trump was trying very hard to save the VFA. Duterte's gamble failed when Trump basically said "Guess you don't need us then. Bye!" Trump knows the Philippines needs the USA more than the USA needs the Philippines.

 

So what do we have now? Consider the Philippines a de facto Chinese province already.

 

Fuck it all. Just fucking sow smallpox and nuke the country.

If it helps I have many badass Filipino friends here in Cali, who have awesome jobs and are pillars of society etc. also Longanisa is the best sausage.

Grew up with a variety of Filipino neighbors and friends. One observation I had was that at the time, they had to make do with less. Another was from a Fil-Am professor I had whose field was the Filipino experience in America. Their struggle for acceptance mirrors those of Asian ethnicities. I have respect for it.

[JasonJ]

Probably should be in one of two or three other threads in the other sections but will put it here. Japan bags its first military export sales with air defense radars for the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines A Japanese firm has bagged a deal to supply an air defense radar system that would boost the Philippines surveillance of its territorial airspace.

 

Japans Mitsubishi Electric Corp. was awarded the contract for the Philippine Air Forces air surveillance radar systems project last week, three senior government officials privy to the deal told INQUIRER.net.

 

The officials said this marked the first time that Japan has secured a contract to export military hardware, a few years after it lifted decades of self-imposed ban on arms exports in 2014.

 

The notice of award (NOA) from the Department of National Defense was issued on March 4, 2020.

 

The NOA is a written confirmation of the grant of a contract to a successful project proponent. Contract signing could be in 60 days, one of the officials said.

 

The government-to-government deal involved the supply of P5.5 billion ($103 million) worth of three fixed and one mobile radar systems. The project under the Philippine military modernization programs Horizon 2 is expected to be delivered by late 2021 or 2022.

 

Earlier reports said Japan was offering an upgraded model of FPS-3 radar built by Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

 

The equipment would bolster the countrys airspace radar coverage amid continuing external security challenges including Chinas expansion in the West Philippine Sea.

 

The bilateral defense cooperation of the Philippines and Japan was strengthened in recent years through Tokyos assistance to the Philippines in the form of training and equipment donation.

 

In 2018, Japan completed the donation of five Beechcraft TC-90 aircraft to the Philippine Navy, the first time it transferred excess defense equipment to another country after an amendment in Japanese law that allowed the donation.

 

The following year, Japan donated P5 billion worth of spare parts for UH-1H helicopters of the Philippine Air Force.

 

The Philippine Coast Guard has also been a recipient of various grants from Japan.

 

Last month, the Department of Transportation and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. signed the contract for the supply of two 94-meter multi-role response vessels, a project financed by the Japanese government.

 

Both Japan and the Philippines have a separate territorial dispute with China over the East China Sea and South China Sea.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/186045/japanese-firm-bags-p5-5-b-ph-air-force-air-defense-radar-project/amp Edited March 9, 2020 by JasonJ

[JasonJ]

The last Balikatan Exercise scheduled for May was cancelled due to the Wuhan virus.

 

MANILA, Philippines This years Balikatan (Shoulder-to-shoulder) Exercises, the biggest yearly series of drills between Philippine and US forces, has been canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

 

Due to concerns for the health and safety of the participating exercise forces and local populations near the planned exercise areas, the US Indo-Pacific Command has cancelled Exercise Balikatan 2020 scheduled for May 4 to 15 in the Republic of the Philippines, the US Indo-PaCom said in a statement dated Thursday, March 26, and sent to reporters by the US Embassy in Manila on Friday, March 27.

 

In light of the extraordinary cirumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries forces, it is prudent to cancel Balikatan 2020, said US Indo-PaCom commander Admiral Phil Davidson.

 

 

We remain deeply committed to our longstanding alliance and friendship, Davidson added.

 

Balikatan 2020 would have been the last iteration of the annual joint exercises, with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that allows for it set to lapse in August. President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the VFAs repeal on February 11, setting off a 180-day countdown to its dissolution.

 

Set in May, the Balikatan was scheduled to still push through, with several thousand Filipino and American troops and an Australian military contingent set to participate.

https://amp.rappler.com/nation/256082-balikatan-exercises-canceled-coronavirus-2020

Edited March 27, 2020 by JasonJ

[JasonJ]

Termination of the VFA suspended by 6 months.

The Philippine government on Tuesday suspended the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States “in light of political and other developments in the region."

 

Upon the instruction of President Duterte, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sent a diplomatic note dated June 1, 2020 to the U.S. Embassy in Manila informing them of suspension of the VFA termination.

 

In the diplomatic note, the DFA wrote that the suspension “shall start on even date and shall continue for six months” which can be extended by the Philippine government for another six months, “after which the tolling of the initial period in Note Verbale No. 20-0463 dated 11 February 2020 shall resume."

 

...

 

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/06/02/govt-suspends-abrogation-of-visiting-forces-agreement-with-u-s/

[Tim the Tank Nut]

whoopsie,,,

[Ssnake]

Termination of the VFA suspended by 6 months.

 

"Good night, ship's boy", the Dread Pirate Roberts would say, "tomorrow I'll probably kill you."