The Constitution remains silent on this issue, as it requires only a Senate agreement to ratify an agreement. Although Duterte did not threaten to withdraw from the MDT and EDCA, both would still be affected. Without the VFA, for example, joint training exercises would only be limited to “agreed sites” under the EDCA, Bagares said. This would also have an impact on the VFA intercom agreement, he added. The agreement was signed on May 31, 2007 in Canberra, Australia, by Philippine Defence Minister Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. and his Australian counterpart, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson. [2] The signing was experienced by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Australian Prime Minister John Howard. [2] The EDCA allows U.S. forces to use and access “agreed locations” in the country, including for security cooperation, humanitarian and disaster relief operations, as well as to “pre-position and store” equipment and equipment for the same purpose. Even Foreign Minister Tedoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. said earlier that the sustainability of the agreement was considered “more beneficial” to the Philippines.

At a Senate hearing, he highlighted the benefits the Philippines has received from the VFA, including military aid, subsidies and deterrence against possible attacks from other countries, among others. At a Senate hearing on the revision of the VFA, Locsin, amid President Rodrigo Duterte`s threat to terminate the treaty, said: “It is valuable to go back to the VFA to address sovereignty issues such as jurisdiction and custody of children.” Under Section 21, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the approval of “at least two-thirds” of all members of the Senate is required for an “international treaty or agreement” to be considered “valid and effective.” It is not specified whether the same is necessary to terminate an agreement. The Philippines also has visiting agreement status with the Australian government and has been negotiating a similar deal with Japan since 2015, as reported by ABS-CBN and Inquirer.net. The VFA, a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington, legally authorizes the entry of large numbers of U.S. troops, exempting them from passport and visa rules so that they can participate in joint military exercises in the Philippines. What would be the impact of the abolition of the agreement on the country? The agreement contains various procedural safeguards to protect due process rights and prohibit dual threats. [2] [VIII 2-6] The agreement also exempts Filipino personnel from visa formalities and ensures expedited entry and exit; [2] [IV] requires the United States to accept Philippine driver`s licenses; [2] [V] authorizes Philippine personnel to carry weapons to U.S. military facilities during deployment; [2] [VI] provides for exemptions and import/export duties for Filipino personnel; [2] [X, XI] requires the United States