Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy acknowledged that U.S. forces may be repositioned in the Pacific following a Tuesday announcement from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that he will end a longstanding visiting forces agreement with the United States.
“I know conversations are underway from the White House and the State Department,” McCarthy said in response to a question from the Washington Examiner about repositioning in the Pacific following a potential withdrawal from the Philippines. McCarthy made the comments during a National Press Club luncheon on Friday.
The status of forces agreement that permits U.S. troops to be on Philippine bases was signed in 1998 and was prompted by threatening behavior from China in the South China Sea. The agreement governs training and military exercises and allows U.S. forces to help train Philippine security forces to fight a domestic terrorist threat.
“The VFA, by changing that, would change, basically, the freedoms that you have to do the training,” McCarthy said at a National Press Club luncheon on Friday. “Basically, the protocols of how you would work together — if it actually goes through.”
The Army secretary said Duterte’s communique to the U.S. Embassy in Manila triggered a 180-day clock for diplomats to work out a fix before the agreement terminates.
“We have a long history. We’ve worked very hard together, very strong mil-to-mil relations,” said McCarthy, who noted he visited the Philippines in recent weeks. “I think that we can drive towards an end state that will work out for all of us politically.”
The Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote on Wednesday that Duterte’s decision was prompted by the revocation of a U.S. visa to Duterte ally Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who led Duterte’s controversial anti-drug program as chief of the Philippine National Police.
The decision also opens the door for the Philippines to pursue arms purchases with Russia and closer economic ties with China.
The Philippines have come under fire by the U.S. for alleged human rights violations related to what are believed to be extra-judicial killings by law enforcement of drug-related criminals on the island chain.
The end of the VFA could reduce U.S. options in the Pacific just as the Pentagon tries to adhere more closely to the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which calls on the armed forces to reposition against the great power threats of Russia and China.
