Duterte's Decision

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In breaking news from the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between his country and the US as of February 12. The VFA is defined as a “legal mechanism to promote defense cooperation between the two countries, enhancing the preparedness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against external threats”. This decision is met with trepidation from local political figures in the Philippines as the Vice President  Robredo and Senator de Lima both voiced concern over the hasty abrogation. Lima states, “Duterte’s termination of the VFA is epically wrong. It is a geopolitical blunder and a previous misstep that may further unsettle the functioning of our very own government - one that is supposedly built on the constitutionalism and principle of checks and balances”. The Filipino President firmly stands behind his decision claiming he was considering “national interests” but a lack of national security undermines any type of interest the President is trying to promote. The dismissal of the VFA can have “internal and external consequences” which could affect the social, military and economic sectors of Filipino society. In addition, the presence of the US in the West Philippine Sea allows for the deterrence of any international mischief China seeks to impose upon in unoccupied territory as they did in the 1990s off of Mischief Reef. Time will tell if this decision by Duterte will prove to be beneficial for the Philippines, but the amount of conflict and political disunity apparent from his actions speak louder than his words highlighting issues beyond national interests as national political stability seems to be an emerging factor from the Filipino government. 


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