Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to end the US-Philippines military deal in response to the visa ban on his political ally.
“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,” the president said. “I am giving the government and the American government one month from now.”
Accordingly, President Duterte’s US Philippines anger originates from the US decision to reject the visa of Ronaldo Dela Rosa. Additionally, Dela Rosa was a former police chief who is now a senator.
Regarding the ban, Dela Rosa did not further uncover the reason for the ban and cancellation. However, he believes that it was due to the allegation of possible extrajudicial killings during his reign as a police chief.
The ban angers Duterte to the point that he will even end the long-established military joint between the Philippines and the US. Also, he even rejected US President Trump’s invitation to attend a special meeting for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in March in Las Vegas.
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What Possibly Happens if Duterte Ended US-Philippines Military Cooperation
At this point, no one can accurately predict the following events if Duterte kept his promise. One thing for sure is that the relationship between the countries will get worse.
Last month, Duterte already did something unpleasant for the US. Accordingly, he banned US senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy from visiting the country.
The tension between both countries has been rising since last year. Reportedly, this was due to the US government’s approval of a bipartisan effort to punish human rights violators in the Philippines.
Many believe that Filipino officials have violated human rights during the anti-narcotics wars, leading to the deaths of thousands. Several Philippine officials also expressed their concerns over facing travel bans due to allegations to the abuse.
Pertaining to Duterte’s threat, the US has yet to issue any comments. Moreover, Washington would like to further study the case first.
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