MANILA, Philippines — The country’s next president should restore the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) within the first 100 days in office amid the brewing “new Cold War,” senatorial candidate Antonio Trillanes said Thursday.
During a forum organized by the 1Sambayan coalition, Trillanes pointed out that the world is experiencing a geopolitical shift which should prompt the government to strengthen its alliances with other democratic countries.
Among the country’s alliances that could be strengthened, Trillanes said, are those with the United States, the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“Pwede itong i-operationalize by immediately reinstating or restoring the VFA and implementing immediately yung Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” Trillanes said.
(We can operationalize this by immediately reinstating or restoring the VFA and implementing immediately the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.)
“Kailangan immediately, within the first 100 days, ma-implement itong dalawang agreements na ito,” he added.
(The implementation of these two agreements should be done immediately, within the first 100 days in office.)
READY FOR BATTLE Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac, which adjoins the ancestral land of an Aeta community, has traditionally been used for the war games between the Philippine and United States Armed Forces as shown in this photo taken during the Philippine-US Balikatan war exercise in 2016. —PHOTO FROM THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PAGE
The VFA, which took effect in 1999, provides a mechanism for visiting American soldiers and serves as the foundation for military exercises and humanitarian work.
However in February 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the termination of the VFA after the United States canceled the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, his longtime ally.
Since then, the abrogation of the VFA has been suspended thrice.
Meanwhile, under the EDCA, which was signed in 2014, the US military will have access to and use of agreed locations in Philippine military bases.
“Hindi po ito base kasi tayo pa rin ang may-ari ng mga facilities na yan pero magkakaroon sila ng storage areas, areas for refueling and re-supply,” Trillanes said.
(These are not their bases since we still own these facilities, but they will have storage areas and areas for re-fueling and re-supply.)
Trillanes stressed that adopting an “isolationist” approach—instead of having allies—could result in invasion.
“So nagiging bipolar muli ang ating mundo at kailangan natin sumapi sa isang coalition na kaparehas nating mga democratic countries otherwise hindi tayo magsu-survive,” Trillanes.
(The world is turning bipolar again and we need to join a coalition with other democratic countries otherwise, we will not survive.)
“Dito sa mundo ngayon, lalo na kung matuloy yang polarization ng mundo sa bagong Cold War, kung isolationist ang foreign policy mo ay mapag-iiwanan ka at sasakupin ka,” he added.
(In our world today, especially if this polarization or this new Cold War continues, having an isolationist foreign policy would mean getting left behind or invaded.)