(File photo)
MANILA – The Philippine government has extended the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) for another six months, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on Wednesday.
Locsin said this would allow the Philippines and the United States "to find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in our mutual defense."
In a video message informing White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, Locsin noted that the South China Sea has changed in the past four years "from one of uncertainty about great powers’ intentions to one of predictability and resulting stability with regard to what can and cannot be done."
He attributed the renewal of stability and security in the region to the efforts displayed by both Washington DC and Manila.
“A great deal of credit for the renewal of stability and security goes to deft diplomacy and equivocal expressions of policy, sturdy postures of strength combined with unfailing tact and pragmatic national security advise exhibited by both our governments in the same period,” he said.
Locsin then hailed the Philippine-US friendship and alliance.
"Long Live Philippine US friendship and alliance. I hereby send the Diplomatic Note in that respect," he said.
The VFA is a framework for defense forces cooperation that allows joint exercises between the Philippines and the US.
Manila officially sent the notice to terminate it last February 11, which was then suspended in June for six months. (PNA)
