President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States and to ban his Cabinet members from going there were not meant to appease China and Russia, with which he is seeking closer ties, his spokesman said Thursday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the order concerning the United States served as a "protest" against Washington's intrusion into the Philippines's sovereignty.
In my personal view, the decision on the "boycott" is more of what they are doing to our countrymen," Panelo told reporters.
In related developments:
• Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday warned that an indefinite travel ban to the United States imposed on all members of the Cabinet could have adverse consequences on the Philippines’ economy and security.
He said that was not to mention the many employed Filipino immigrants there, especially if the US retaliated to Duterte’s recent tirades.
• Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he was not affected by President Duterte’s travel ban on going to the United States since he had no plans to travel to that country even if he had a valid visa.
‘‘The President’s order prohibiting Cabinet secretaries from traveling to the US has no personal impact on me, as I have no plans of visiting the US even if have a subsisting visa,’’ Guevarra said.
•The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines urged Duterte and his administration to ‘‘brogate by all means’’ the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US government following the Palace‘s announcement of doing so.
ACT said the VFA was among the pinnacles of the neo-colonial ties of the Philippines to the United States.
Asked if the ‘‘toning down’’ of the Philippines-US relations was a move to appease China and Russia, Panelo said: ‘‘Not necessarily. His decision was mainly based on the actions of the US government with respect to the US Senate and the US immigration.
Panelo also said the Philippines should learn to rely on its own resources to protect itself from internal and external aggression.
It’s about time that we, as a country, rely on our own resources. We have to strengthen our capability in defending ourselves from foreign intrusions,’’ he said.
Panelo also said the order to scrap the VFA would not affect the conviction of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton who murdered transgender Filipino woman Jennifer Laude.
The military pact, ratified in 1999, allows the US government to retain jurisdiction over their military personnel accused of committing crimes in the country, unless the crimes are ‘‘of particular importance to the Philippines.
In 2015, the Olongapo Regional Trial Court found Pemberton guilty of homicide. He was sentenced to serve a jail term of six to 10 years is currently being detained at Camp Aguinaldo.
Duterte’s orders were set in motion after the US Senate passed a resolution seeking sanctions against Philippine officials involved in the drug war and the detention of Senator Leila de Lima, a Duterte administration critic who has been detained on drug-related charges.
The US immigration also canceled the visa of his first police chief Senator Ronald dela Rosa. With Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rey E. Requejo and Willie Casas
