MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it would end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country, in the most serious threat under President Rodrigo Duterte to their 69-year treaty alliance.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that Manila’s notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The termination would take effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep it.

Locsin signed the notice on the order of Duterte, who has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine military’s close historic ties with its American counterpart.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila acknowledged receipt of Manila’s notice and said Washington “will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests.”



“This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippines alliance,” the embassy said in a statement. “Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples.”

In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the 1998 security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. U.S. military presence in the strategic waterway has been seen as a crucial counterweight to China, which claims virtually the entire sea.

Read Full Story at APNews.com

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4 COMMENTS

  2. We need people like President Duterte . He has the guts to stand up to The Zionist American Regime . If all of south east Asia follow his coarse there would be a good chance for peace

  3. I have seen Duterte interviews a few times now and President Duterte doesn’t mince Words and is basically Against USA since day 1 in Office but the USA has given him an excuse to carry out Duterte’s Kicking USA out …… Everybody is SICK of USA repugnancy and it seems these days Everybody wants USA OUT but the Shameless OFiccials keep saying that ” We will discuss this in the light of Shared Interests ” Actually Everybody is Sick and Tired of USA and the Shared Interest of the USA is to LOOT and Plunder AND Nobody wants it Anymore …..

    • seems pretty soon Everybody will gang up against USA and then Donald Trump did bring back the Troops …… USA is being asked to leave Iraq , Middle East and Phillipines and maybe from Europe too pretty soon , looks like USA will need to abandon their Worldwide bases ….. the sh1t has finally hit the Fan

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