The Philippines is demanding more military aid from the United States in response to the U.S.’s delay on rescinding a security pact between the two countries.
Philippines Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque stated that the country had received much less assistance from the U.S. in comparison to other allies, despite a long alliance between the two, and demanded compensation for a two-decades long pact, ABC News reported.
“If you want to continue using our territory, we want just compensation for it.” Roque said according to ABC News, also stating the country did not want “loose coins” or “dilapidated equipment.”
A Philippine official says President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration wants considerably more U.S. military aid in exchange for not abrogating a key security pact with Washington. https://t.co/ZQKSjIDBfe
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 15, 2021
Calls for the agreement to be abrogated follow on the heels of a speech last week by President Rodrigo Duterte, who claimed that if the U.S. wanted to remain in the country, “they have to pay,” ABC News reported. Duterte added that the sharing of responsibility “does not come for free.” (RELATED: Nikki Haley Slams Biden’s Foreign Policy: ‘He’s More Interested In Reversing Everything President Trump Did’)
The Philippines has expressed concern under the Visiting Force Agreement, first implemented in 1998, which allows American forces to conduct joint training in the country, ABC reported. Last February, President Duterte moved to terminate the act, but delayed the action in August.
It was not immediately clear on how much the country was asking in exchange for the agreement’s continuity, ABC News reported. While the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the value of the pact, it is unclear if the U.S. will consider terminating the pact.