President Duterte Restores Troop Deployment Agreement, US Secretary Of Defense: Gives Us Certainty

Illustration of the United States and the Philippines joint military exercises. (Wikimedia Commons/US Army/Sgt. 1st Class John Etheridge)

JAKARTA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a surprising decision, by restoring the agreement that regulates the presence of United States (US) troops in the Philippines, after previously this issue made tensions between the two countries.

The agreement in question is The Visiting Forx Agreement (VFA), regulating the rotation of thousands of US troops in and out of the Philippines for war games and exercises. An important deal for the US and its allies, in the midst of 'competition' with China.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was not sure why Duterte changed himself. However, the decision came after a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday.

Harry Roque, a spokesman for President Duterte, said the president's decision was based on upholding the Philippines' core strategic interests and the clarity of the US position on its obligations and commitments under the MDT (Mutual Defense Agreement).

Duterte's decision will not change much on the ground, as the pact has not yet been finalized but provides stability for both countries.

"This gives us certainty that going forward, we can do long-term planning and carry out various types of exercises," Minister Austin said during a press conference with his Philippine counterpart.

Illustration of the United States and the Philippines joint military exercises. (Wikimedia Commons/Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth)

Earlier, President Duterte vowed to end the pact after the United States refused a visa for a Philippine senator who was an ally of the president. But, he has repeatedly pushed back the expiration date, the last time being last month, keeping it until the end of the year.

To note, the Philippines is a treaty ally of the US, and some military agreements are dependent on the VFA. As for the United States, having the ability to rotate troops is important not only for the defense of the Philippines, but strategically to counter China's assertive behavior in the region.

"(Duterte's decision) opens up significant possibilities for strengthening previously closed alliances," said Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Nevertheless, there are still those who question this agreement, due to the uncertainty of President Duterte's position.

"Some celebrations are premature. (VFA) will continue to be under threat as long as Duterte remains president," said Aaron Connelly, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The deal could benefit the Philippines and the US, with Manila and Beijing in dispute over territorial waters in the South China Sea. With the United States recently also actively warning China about aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific region that worries Washington DC.