A New Independent Course for the Philippines: Manilla Notifies Washington of Withdrawal from 21-Year Defence Agreement

The government of the Philippines on February 11th officially informed the United States that it was terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) signed in 1999 - which had provided legal cover for the presence of American forces in the Southeast Asian country for 21 years. The agreement will be terminated with 180 days of notice, and could have serious implications for America’s position in the Asia-Pacific. Termination of the agreement has been strongly advocated by President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been highly critical of U.S. influence in the country since coming to power in 2016 and sought to strengthen ties with Russia and China. Duterte’s presidency saw a decline in tensions with China - although these have at times spiked over ongoing territorial disputes - as well as the first major arms deals with Russia in the country’s history.

The Philippines is a former colony of the United States and was previously considered firmly in the American sphere of influence - with the territory acting as a hub for U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific. Moves by Manilla to terminate the agreement come amid souring relations with Washington, and following “a series of legislative and executive action by the U.S. government that bordered on assaulting our sovereignty and disrespecting our judicial system” - according to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo. Panelo further elaborated regarding the causes behind the deal’s termination: “In addition, the president believes that our country can not forever rely on other countries for the defence of the state and should instead strengthen our own resources for our defences. The president will not entertain any initiative coming from the U.S. government to salvage the VFA, neither will he accept any official invitation to visit the United States.” Such actions are unprecedented ever since the First Philippine Republic was overthrown by the United States Military in the early 20th century and the country was a placed under American rule - with the country having remained firmly in the Western sphere of influence ever since. The future alignment of the Philippines remains uncertain.