DFA calls for review of RP-US VFA

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo on Tuesday said he has already recommended to Malacañang the review of the controversial bilateral defense pact between the Philippines and the United States. Romulo said the review will focus only on jurisdiction for offenses of American troops in the country under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and not in view of terminating the pact. Last year, the rape case against a US Marine that was dismissed by the Court of Appeals led to renewed calls for the review of the VFA, as critics claim the terms of agreement over the treatment between of US and Filipino soldiers were unequal. "This is a new government so we have to organize. I have proposed that review last year with then Executive Secretary [Eduardo] Ermita. I have submitted the same to Executive Secretary [Paquito] Ochoa," Romulo said. Romulo said the defense and foreign affairs chiefs, the executive secretary, and other officials will be members of the VFA review committee. There is no specific timetable on the assessment of the agreement, but Romulo said he wanted it done "as soon as possible." Romulo said he is meeting this week with Sen. Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee and Rep. Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the House committee on foreign relations, to discuss the issue. "I would like [a] comparison with other countries as to the jurisdiction for offenses that have been committed. We have to review that and match it one with the others. That’s the least that we can do. Jurisdiction is just one of the things [that we will look into]," Romulo said. Moreover, he said: "I continue to discuss this with Ambassador Harry Thomas and he is open [to it]. In fact, that was the first thing that we discussed when he presented his credentials. We will review it and we will see what the results of the review will be." The Philippines and the US have signed the military accord in 1999 which governs the conduct, exit and entry movements of American troops visiting the Philippines for military exercises. It entered into force on May 27, 1999, eight years after the closure of US military bases in the Philippines in 1991. The VFA is also the mechanism being used by both countries for the continued presence of the US military in Mindanao, where a significant number of local and foreign extremist terrorist groups are based. The presence of American troops in Mindanao since 2002 has fanned speculations the US soldiers are involved in combat operations against al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in Mindanao like the Abu Sayyaf, which is on the US government’s list of the foreign terrorist organizations. A New York Times' report revealed that at least 600 American troops under the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), headquartered in the Philippine military camp in Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City, have remained in the country by virtue of the VFA. US and Philippine military cooperation under the VFA has led to the capture and death of top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaff has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in the country and is notorious for kidnapping foreigners in exchange for huge ransom. Despite the US troops' continuing presence in Mindanao, Washington has maintained American soldiers are not involved in combat operations against Moro rebels, but said they can retaliate if attacked. Foreign troops are barred by the 1987 Constitution to engage in combat operations in the Philippines. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV