President Rodrigo Duterte may abolish the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) without the approval of the senate.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo explained that the VFA is an executive agreement, meaning the president can cancel it.
According to Panelo, the US interfered in the Philippine affairs when it barred the president’s ally, senator Bato Dela Rosa from entering their country because of government war on drugs.
Duterte on Thursday warned the United States he would scrap the agreement on the deployment of troops and equipment for military exercises if the US would not reinstate Dela Rosa’s visa.
“If you do not do the correction, one, I will terminate the bases, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). I will finish that son of a bitch,” Duterte said in a wide-ranging speech before former Communist rebels. “I am giving the government and the American government one month from now.”
Also read: Duterte bans another US senator from entering PH
Duterte can scrap VFA without senate’s approval
Dela Rosa said the US embassy in the Philippines did not explain as to why his visa was canceled. He believed it was most likely due to extrajudicial killings allegations against him during his term as Philippine National Chief for two years.
According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), such drug personalities were killed in 151,601 anti-illegal drug operations from July 1, 2016, to November 30, 2019.
To date, P40.39 billion worth of illegal drugs has been seized. Most of it was shabu amounting to 5,183 kilograms worth P31.25 million.
Meanwhile, 8,185 high-value targets have been identified.