Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo (Source: philstar.com) Hanoi (VNA) - A joint military exercise between the Philippines and theUS will push through as scheduled, despite the former’s decision to terminate the VisitingForces Agreement (VFA), the spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) said on March 4.
Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said that the annual “Balikatan”(shoulder-to-shoulder) will set in May.
An advance contingent from the US will arrive in the Philippinesin April to prepare equipment, supplies and medical requirements, Arevalo said.
According to him, the drill will take place within the 180-day period allowed before the VFA abrogation formally takes effect.
The Philippines and the US signed the VFA in 1998, allowingjoint Philippine-US military operations. The Philippine Senate ratified theagreement in 1999, seven years after the closure of the last US base on the Philippine territory.
On February 11, 2020, the Southeast Asian nation officiallynotified the US about the termination of the agreement.
According to the agreement, the termination will officiallytake effect after 180 days – the time needed for relevant negotiations of the twosides./.
VNA
