MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday (Feb 11) terminated a two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States (VFA) delivering on threats to downgrade an alliance crucial to US interests. "The president will not entertain any initiative coming from the US government to salvage the VFA, neither will he accept any official invitation to visit the United States," Panelo said in a statement. It would also limit Philippine access to US training and expertise in tackling Islamist extremism, natural disasters and maritime security threats. "We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests," it said in a statement. Duterte says the United States uses the pacts to conduct clandestine activities like spying and nuclear weapons stockpiling, which he says risk making the Philippines a target for Chinese aggression.

Source: The Star February 11, 2020 12:11 UTC