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Tag: Pivot Asia

US access talks: it’s PR

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2013
DND Asst Sec Raymund Jose Quilop, DFA Asst Sec Carlos Sorreta, DND Usec Pio Lorenzo Batino, Justice Usec FranciscoBaraan III.
DND Asst Sec Raymund Jose Quilop, DFA Asst Sec Carlos Sorreta, DND Usec Pio Lorenzo Batino, Justice Usec FranciscoBaraan III.

In the media briefing last Monday announcing the start of the talks between the Philippines and the United States on “a possible framework of agreement on the increased rotational presence” of U.S military in the Philippines, the question that was repeatedly asked was, “What does the U.S. wants that the existing Visiting Forces Agreement does not cover?”

The VFA is an agreement between the Philippines and the United States regarding the treatment of U.S. Armed Forces Visiting the Philippines. It was signed in 1998 by Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon and U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard and ratified by the Philippine Senate.

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PH will announce start of talks with US on increased military access tomorrow

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

Photo from AFP's Balikatan Exercise Facebook.
Photo from AFP’s Balikatan Exercise Facebook.
The Aquino government will announce tomorrow the start of the talks with the United States on providing increased access by American military personnel to Philippine facilities.

The briefing to be conducted by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will be held tomorrow at 9:30 a.m at the Patio Room of AFPCOC in Camp Aguinaldo.

Members of the panel will be composed of both foreign affairs and defense security experts. Head of the Philippine panel is Ambassador Carlos Sorreta.

The increase in US presence in the country is part of the US’ rebalancing security strategy termed “Pivot to Asia” which involves increasing military presence in Asia Pacific as it reduces its presence in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

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