Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Wednesday the US embassy called and agreed to restore his canceled visa after the Philippines suspended the termination of VFA.
“To be honest with you, tinawagan ako ng US after nag-usap si President [Rodrigo] Duterte at President [Donald] Trump, tinawagan ako ng US Embassy na asikasuhin itong visa ko,” Dela Rosa said in an interview on ANC.
(To be honest with you, the US Embassy called me to process my visa after President Duterte, and President Trump talked.)
“Pag after COVID daw, pag mag-report na ang kanilang mga staff, iniimbitahan ako papuntahin doon para asikasuhin ang aking visa,” he added.
(They said I could report to their staff, they invited me there to process my visa after COVID.)
President Rodrigo Duterte, in February, began the process of Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) abrogation after Washington canceled the visa of Dela Rosa. The senator was the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief who led the administration’s war on drugs.
The termination of the VFA was supposed to take effect in August.
However, DFA Secretary announced June the Philippines suspended the VFA termination with the United States following the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The suspension, however, is only six months from June 1, and it would be “extendible by the Philippines for another six months.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr earlier said the COVID-19 pandemic and “heightened superpower tensions” made President Duterte change his mind and suspend the termination of the VFA with the United States.
Also read: PH expects more US COVID-19 aid after VFA abrogation suspension
Bato dela Rosa: US embassy called to restore canceled visa
When asked if the suspension of the VFA had anything to do with his visa, Senator Dela Rosa said: “After sila nag-usap, iyong 2 Presidente… nagkaintindihan sila. Maybe nagbigay ng instruction iyong Presidente ng America na ayusin ninyo iyong visa ni Bato kaya tumawag sa akin iyong US Embassy.”
“Wala man ako doon nang nag-usap sila… Hindi ko lang alam. Baka may instruction sa kanila na ayusin,” he added.
(After the two Presidents talked, maybe they had an understanding. Perhaps the President of America instructed to fix Bato’s visa that’s why the US Embassy called me. I was not there. I don’t know. Perhaps there as an instruction to fix it.)