Lorenzana says no ongoing negotiation on VFA

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday said there is no ongoing negotiation between the Philippines and the United States on the Visiting Forces Agreement after the suspension of its abrogation.

In an online forum, Lorenzana was asked if there is a re-negotiation about the agreement, which allows joint military training between Filipino and American troops.

"I don't think there is because it's still there, it's still in effect until it is terminated. The agreement says any party can eliminate it by giving notice to the other party and after he gives the notice, the termination takes effect after 180 days or six months. Now the termination letter was given to the US Embassy some time in early February. It should have ended some time [in] August but the President said tigil muna 'yung countdown ng termination notice so it is effectively stopped," Lorenzana said.

"It will resume again after six months which is, I think sometime in December. If nothing happens, if we did not pull out the letter, the countdown again resumes. The termination will be in effect sometime in February so there is no negotiation going on. Nobody is initiating any negotiation either from other side," he explained.

Lorenzana said the American forces were delighted with the decision of the Philippine government to suspend the VFA termination. Duterte made the decision as the country needs assistance from other nations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June, Lorenzana had a conference call with his US counterpart, Mark Esper, about the development. In that conversation, Lorenzana also thanked the US for its assistance and donations of medical supplies to help the Philippines address the health crisis.

The VFA took effect in 1999 after being ratified by the Philippine Senate, effectively allowing American soldiers to train and advise their Filipino counterparts in disaster response and its fight against terrorists.

However, under the agreement, US forces are not allowed to take part in combat operations. — RSJ, GMA News