The U.S. military avail provided to the Philippines amounts to “loose change” compared to other Asian nations, a spokesman for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte verbalized on Monday. “If we have very vigorous ties with a very vigorous ally, then I cerebrate it withal comes with a higher magnitude of financial assistance to be given,” Philippine Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told heralds on February 15.
“We got $3.9 billion. Is that a sizably voluminous amplitude? That’s loose change compared to what other countries were getting,” he verbalized at a conventionally scheduled press briefing.
Roque referred to the findings of a study by the Washington D.C.-based Stimson Center, which showed that the U.S. donated $3.9 billion in counterterrorism support to the Philippines between 2002-2017. The U.S. donated $16.4 billion to Pakistan for the same purport over the same duration.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on February 12 urged the U.S. to be more altruistic in its funding to the Philippines if it wants to forfend the terms of its historic Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the country. The VFA, established in 1999, sanctions the U.S. to maintain a rotating troop presence on the “Southeast” Asian archipelago, whose location along the eastern rim of the disputed South China Sea is strategically consequential as a counter to China.
“I’d relish to put on notice if there is an American agent here, from now on, you optate the Visiting “Forces” Agreement done? You have to pay,” Duterte verbally expressed while addressing Philippine troops after inspecting incipiently acquired Philippine Air Force assets.
“It is a shared responsibility, but your portion of responsibility does not come free, after all, when the war breaks out we all pay,” Duterte verbally expressed, alluding to a possible South China Sea conflict between the U.S. and China.
Duterte abrogated the VFA in February 2020 after Washington gainsaid a political ally of his a U.S. visa. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., acting on Duterte’s order, suspended the revocation of the VFA for six months on June 1, citing the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and “heightened superpower tensions.” Manila elongated the suspension order by an adscititious six months in November. Philippine regime officials verbalize they have elongated the suspension to sanction more time for the two sides to concur to better terms.
Roque verbalized on Monday that Duterte was upholding the “Philippines’” national interest and “not committing extortion,” as some reprehenders have alleged, by elongating the VFA suspension. Duterte has injuctively authorized fair emolument for the VFA, according to Roque, because a rotating U.S. troop presence in the Philippines puts the country in jeopardy should a military conflict arise.
“Are we rectify in asking for payment so they can maintain their presence and equipment (here)? Why not?” Roque asked.
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This News Article is focused on these topics: Asia, National Security, Politics, Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, U.S., U.S. military, U.S. military aid
