Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte is moving to terminate the shaky US-allied country’s military pact with the United States after Washington revoked former police chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s US visa last month. The close Duterte ally stands accused of widespread of widespread war crimes, including ordering extrajudicial killings of thousands during the Southeast Asian Pacific nation’s brutal ongoing ‘war on drugs’ — raging since 2016.
An enraged Duterte had threatened last month: “I’m warning you… if you won’t do the correction on this, I will terminate the… Visiting Forces Agreement,” and declared provocatively “I’ll end that son of a bitch” — in reference to the pact which provides legal immunity to US military drills.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, via Getty/NYT
Filipino Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin testified before the country’s senate this past week that termination of the agreement will “negatively impact” defense and economic ties between Washington and Manila.
“The president said he is terminating the VFA,” Defense Secretary of the Philippines, Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana told ABS-CBN News on Friday. “I asked for clarification and he said he is not changing his decision.”
President Duterte previously gave Washington a month to fix its “mistake” related to punitive action against Dela Rosa and said he wasn’t bluffing. The AP described the history of the key military pact as follows:
The security accord, which took effect in 1999, provides the legal cover for American troops to enter the Philippines for joint training with Filipino troops.
A separate defense pact subsequently signed by the treaty allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allowed the extended stay of U.S. forces and authorized them to build and maintain barracks and other facilities in designated Philippine military camps.
Perhaps more significantly Duterte went so far as to declare in late January that he will ban some US senators from visiting the Philippines unless Washington backs down. He’d also told members of his cabinet not to visit the US.
Former Philippines national police chief Roland Dela Rosa (now senator) in 2017, via the AFP.
Since Manila initiated its aggressive militarized crackdown on illegal drugs starting in 2016, thousands of civilian drug suspects have been left dead across the country, mostly in deeply impoverished areas, resulting in condemnations from the United Nations and human rights groups. Most of these killings also took place outside of any courtroom or judicial setting.
Dela Rosa was tasked as President Duterte’s top enforcer, gaining him popularity among right-wingers and the military in the country, but infamy among others.
hahahahha good, end it
I love Duterte, my wife’s President. He is a man with balls like Putin.
Ya
It is better to tear all paper agreements with USA worldwide.Just as Pelosi tear Trump speach anf expels USA officials and citizens..It will put USA administration in difficult position to mend ties again and in the same vain wage terrorism war and Syrian oil stealing.
If US can kill anybody without court room sentences in the name of “war on terror” why shouldn’t have Philipnes the same rights when they fight drugs?
Because UN located america no wonder they can do anything they want
Quite right. Drugs are peddled by the CIA crime organisations to cause friction in allied countries.
Drugs have been a pretty effective weopon against the entire world do you know the people at the top of the drug game are not doing it for the money they can print money they don’t need the shit they are doing it to fuck people up and in im not just talking about illegal drugs prescription drugs are a menace as well.
Yes, any drug has a side effect. Even aspirine for ‘headaches ‘ :)
Don’t trust this “duterte” he will change sides like a prostitute.
I trust Duterte more than any US or UK politicians.
I remember listen to this dude speaking about “independence” of action about the philippines, next day he was doing military drills with the U.S, even buying a lot of weapons from them (USA) threatening China.
He says one thing but does otherwise
I’m telling you, he comes from the same kind of breed that Cerdogan comes, once a snake always a snake. Don’t judge people for what they say but for what they DO.
It is most unwise to trust these types since they will stab you in the back once they get the chance. Look at Erdogan. He was even given access to Syria, but then he goes to Ukraine and he says that he supports Ukraine’s claims on Crimea. On top, he opens a credit line to Kiev in order to buy Turkish weapons. Perhaps it is time for Russia to start bombing the hell out of the terrorists as they did after the downing of their plane in 2015.
filipino troops doing military drills with usa is already scheduled, he cannot stop that, he is not buying weapon, that weapon already bought by the generals long time ago
im a filipino and i know duterte want to make a deal with the other countries like china or russia but usa always limit the deals specially in military, energy and intelligence deals
sometimes duterte changes his decision because he balance what other politicians reaction specially most of the politicians and his cabinet/ministry are pro usa
Still, i don’t trust him.
Duterte is the best thing that has happened to the Philippines in Decades. He is a true Patriot – not connected to any of the few (pro-US) ruling families that control the country economically. Has socialist leanings, pro poor & got to hate the US while he was mayor of davao. way to go Roddy!
That’s not hard.
Im a bit conflicted about the this guy mainly because I slammed half a gram of meth yesterday which means I don’t think I’d last long in the Phillipines the funny bastard in charge of the place was giving guns away to pretty much anyone who wanted to shoot a drug addict