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1 1 (March 17, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govciyv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: * Conqrcissioa flasearch Service What If the Philippines Ends the Visiting Forces Agreement? March 17, 2020 On February 10, 2020, the Government of the Philippines submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Manila a notice of termination of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The VFA governs the legal status of U.S. military forces operating in the Philippines and establishes rules by which U.S. troops, vessels and aircraft may enter the country. The notification started a 180-day review period; the agreement itself will expire at the end of that time. The VFA has been in effect since 1999, eight years after the Philippines rejected a treaty that would have extended the U.S. lease of Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base and ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the Philippines. The move raises uncertainties about the future of U.S.-Philippine military cooperation, an important part of the U.S. security posture in Asia. The Philippines is a U.S. treaty ally, and the termination of the VFA would not change that status. However, broad aspects of U.S.-Philippine cooperation, including military exercises and U.S. access to Philippine military facilities, could be made difficult or impossible without the legal protection of the VFA. This lack of cooperation could hinder U.S. initiatives to utilize the network of U.S. alliances in the region, to address tensions in the South China Sea, where the Philippines has long-standing disputes with China, and to conduct counterterrorism efforts in the southern Philippines. It also could affect U.S. humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions throughout the region. The proximate cause of the termination notification, according to many observers, was the U.S. decision to revoke the visa of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte. Dela Rosa headed the Philippine National Police during 2016-2018 and was regarded as the chief enforcer of Duterte's controversial War on Drugs, which has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. The Presidential Palace reportedly also has referred to a number of U.S. congressional actions as an assault on Philippine sovereignty, including U.S. foreign operations appropriations legislation (P.L. 116-94; S.Rept. 116-126) that bars entry of Philippine officials determined to have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a leading critic of the antidrug campaign. But Duterte long has expressed a more fundamental desire to lessen Philippine dependence on the United States. Reflecting this sentiment, on February 11, 2020, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo quoted Duterte as saying It's about time we rely on ourselves. We will strengthen our own defenses and not rely on any other country. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11248 CRS NStGHT Prepared for Mehmbers and Committees of Congress

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