Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said at the Corona 19 Countermeasures Meeting on the 26th, “If the United States cannot provide 20 million doses of the Corona 19 vaccine, it is better for the US military to leave (Philippines).” [EPA=연합뉴스]
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has pressured the United States to end the Visiting Military Agreement (VFA) if it does not provide a vaccine for the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). The VFA is an agreement that underlies military training between the United States and the Philippines.
US pressure “can’t stay without vaccine”
After asking for a 20 million dose vaccine
According to local media such as Manila Bluetin, the Philippine Daily on the 27th, President Duterte said at the Corona 19 countermeasure meeting the day before, “VFA will soon end,” and “if I do not extend, they (the US military) will have to leave.”
President Duterte also stressed, “If they (the United States) do not provide at least 20 million doses, it would be better to leave.”
Earlier on the 19th, Philippine Foreign Minister Theodor Roxin said, “I spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he will do his best to help the Philippines secure Pfizer vaccine.”
![Philippine Foreign Minister Theodor Roxin wrote on Twitter on the 19th that he had a conversation with Secretary Pompeo and that he will try to help the Philippines obtain a Pfizer vaccine. [트위터 캡처]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202012/27/f6746720-48ef-40ac-a4c1-dced9f357cdc.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
Philippine Foreign Minister Theodor Roxin wrote on Twitter on the 19th that he had a conversation with Secretary Pompeo and that he will try to help the Philippines obtain a Pfizer vaccine. [트위터 캡처]
President Duterte, however, said at a countermeasure meeting that day, “the US is not even distributing the vaccine to the US mainland,” and “Don’t believe the existing reports that the US will provide the vaccine,” local media reported.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the cumulative number of corona19 confirmed cases in the Philippines was 468,601 as of the 26th, and the cumulative number of deaths was 9062. In particular, the number of new confirmed cases for a week has been maintained at the level of 10,000 since last month. In this situation, it is interpreted that it was pressured to supply the Corona 19 vaccine to the United States as a variant of Corona 19 originating from the UK occurred and an emergency occurred in the Philippine quarantine.
The VFA, which President Duterte made as a bridgehead for securing vaccines, was an agreement between the Philippines and the United States in 1998. This is an agreement that regulates the rights and obligations of US troops entering the Philippines. Based on this agreement, the United States and the Philippines have conducted annual joint military exercises such as’Balicatan’.
However, in February, President Duterte informed the United States of the end of the VFA. At the time, the United States was known to be in retaliation for canceling the visa of Philippine Senator Ronald Delarosa. Rep. Delarosa, who served as the chief of the police, has led President Duterte’s “drug eradication” policy.
But ahead of the deadline for the end of the VFA, President Duterte withheld the abolition of the VFA in June for “regional politics and other developments”. The hold period is valid for six months until the end of December, CNN Philippines reported.
Reporter Seok Kyung-min [email protected]