Operation Pacific Eagle - Philippines
Abstract
This quarter, the Philippine government notified the U.S. Embassy in Manila of its intention to withdraw from the bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). This announcement triggered the start of a 180-day waiting period, after which the agreement would be terminated, absent any action by the Philippine government in the interim to reverse its decision. Since its inception in 1999, the VFA has established the rules by which U.S. military personnel, vessels, and aircraft may enter the Philippines. The VFA also delineates whether certain criminal offenses committed by U.S. military personnel are subject to U.S. or Philippine legal systems. According to media reports, the full consequences of ending the VFA are unknown, and the Philippine Secretary of Justice recommended that the Philippine government conduct a study on possible security implications of ending the agreement. Prior to the withdrawal announcement, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of National Defense both publicly expressed concerns that terminating the VFA could undermine Philippine national security. U.S. Government leaders had mixed reactions to the announcement. Some Department of Defense (DoD) officials publicly described the announcement as "unfortunate" and a challenge for future counterterrorism operations. Other officials expressed optimism that the U.S. and Philippine governments would resolve their differences over the VFA.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1147098