Cabinet cluster to tackle VFA scrap plan Friday

MANILA — Key Cabinet members will meet on Friday to come up with recommendations to President Rodrigo Duterte on how best to implement the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States.

“The Cabinet cluster on security, justice and peace will still meet on Friday to deliberate and make recommendations to the President,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a message to newsmen Tuesday when sought for updates.

Guevarra’s office has been directed to include the implications of the termination of the VFA in their study.

Aside from Malacañang and the DOJ, the cluster includes the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense (DND), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES).

Guevarra originally said the memorandum sought by the Palace would only deal with the procedure for termination, not the wisdom of the executive action and answer such questions as: “Is the VFA a treaty or an executive agreement?’; ‘If it is a treaty, is Senate concurrence required for termination?’; ‘Who will give the notice of termination?’ (and), ‘Is it necessary to state any ground for termination?”

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered to start the process of termination of the VFA following the cancellation of the US visa of retired national police chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who used to be one of those who implemented the government’s anti-drug campaign.

Duterte earlier warned the US government that he will scrap the agreement if the cancelation of dela Rosa’s visa is not rectified within a month.

Signed by Manila and Washington DC in 1998, the VFA is an executive agreement that stipulates how visiting American troops should be treated in the Philippines.

Aside from exempting American troops from passport and visa regulations, the agreement also states that their permits and licenses are also deemed valid in the Philippines.

The same policy also applies to Filipino troops in US military installations.

It also allows the US to retain jurisdiction over its personnel accused of crimes committed in the Philippines.