Philippines' Duterte tells U.S. 'you have to pay' if it wants to keep troop deal

 

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during a speech in Quezon City, Philippines, July 22, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo

 

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday the United States must pay if it wants to keep a two-decade-old troop deployment agreement with his country that is central to U.S. strategy in Asia.

 

Duterte, a firebrand nationalist who openly disapproves of the long-standing U.S. military alliance, unilaterally cancelled the Visiting Force Agreement last year in an angry response to an ally being denied a U.S. visa.

 

The withdrawal period has been twice extended, however, to create what Philippine officials say is a window for better terms to be agreed.

 

Speaking to Philippine troops on Friday after inspecting newly acquired air assets, Duterte said: "I'd like to put on notice if there is an American agent here, from now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? You have to pay.

 

"It is a shared a responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free, after all, when the war breaks out we all pay," Duterte said, alluding to Washington and Beijing stepping up military activities in the South China Sea.

 

Duterte did not elaborate, or say how much U.S. should pay.

 

The U.S. embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his remarks.

 

The Philippines defence apparatus want to keep the VFA as it has been vital in boosting the capabilities of under-resourced Philippine forces through dozens of annual joint training exercises, Duterte's defence minister has said.

 

U.S. and Philippine officials met on Thursday to settle differences over the VFA, the first under U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which has reaffirmed the alliance in the face of China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

 

"(The United States) is free to advance their troops in our land...We do not like it because we want to remain neutral," Duterte said. "But the exigency of the moment requires their presence here, I am okay with that."

 

Relations between the United States and its former east Asian colony have been complicated by Duterte's rise to power in 2016 and his frequent statements condemning U.S. foreign policy, and his open embrace of China.

 

Duterte reiterated that he wanted to avoid confrontation with China over maritime claims that "would lead to something we can hardly afford".

 

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-13

 

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It is a shared a responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free

 

Now that is a classic

This is an old game dating from the Cold War era when 3rd world countries were courted by both Russia and the US.  Russia didn't have much to offer in the money stakes.  But the US will have to print a lot of dollars to keep the Chinese at bay.  They will indeed be printed and the Philippines can go back to sleep for a while.

 

America an inch nearer to bankruptcy (or to its close cousin:  loss of confidence in the dollar).

It may be time to introduce Mandarin lessons in P.I schools. 

Sounds about right..You Pay First...then maybe I'll agree...

 Duterte needs to take a few tokes on a strong joint.

 

He wound way too tightly.

 

The US left PI before, and they quickly realized what a mistake that was. Maybe it's time to leave again and see how well that pest does on his own.

14 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

Duterte needs to take a few tokes on a strong joint.

I think he killed all the sellers!

18 minutes ago, J Town said:

The US left PI before, and they quickly realized what a mistake that was. Maybe it's time to leave again and see how well that pest does on his own.

The Manglapus the Foreign Minister at that time, cancelled the US-Philippine agreement on the bases  which had come under fire since Clark AB was covered with ash/lahar from Pinatubo the Volcano.  Because of the closure of the bases, the Philippines lost over 70,000 well-paying jobs.  At that time, there was still an office in Manila advocating US statehood for the Philippines.

Meantime Chinese forces edge ever closer as they take over this reef & that little island and this fishing ground, all within the Philippines' (now former) exclusive economic zone ...

I dont like Duterte, but in this case he's right????????????

44 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

I dont like Duterte, but in this case he's right????????????

 

I don't like Duterte either, but we will see how he likes it when there are no fishing rights or grounds because according to China, it all belongs to them!

 

No US forces to uphold the status quo, the Chinese will run riot.

26 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

I don't like Duterte either, but we will see how he likes it when there are no fishing rights or grounds because according to China, it all belongs to them!

 

No US forces to uphold the status quo, the Chinese will run riot.

 Buy a chair, sit down, wait and see how wrong you are ????

13 minutes ago, ctxa said:

 Buy a chair, sit down, wait and see how wrong you are ????

 

 

So you dispute the Chinese have laid claim to nearly all the seas, citing some map dating back to the 17th century, where Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and many others have territorial counter claims over the waters?

 

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea

 

 

3 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

So you dispute the Chinese have laid claim to nearly all the seas, citing some map dating back to the 17th century, where Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and many others have territorial counter claims over the waters?

 

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea

 

 

Yes. 
 

And furthermore I dispute that the US is there to help prevent this ????

10 minutes ago, ctxa said:

Yes. 
 

And furthermore I dispute that the US is there to help prevent this ????

 

Ah OK,

 

And it therefore follows that they never seized Tibet by force, they aren't murdering and raping the Uighurs in China, they aren't threatening Taiwan and what we can see about reinforcing and building and fortifying uninhabited islands to control and force a chokehold in disputed territory is all a ' mirage? ' 

 

Western propaganda, eh?

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Ah OK,

 

And it therefore follows that they never seized Tibet by force, they aren't murdering and raping the Uighurs in China, they aren't threatening Taiwan and what we can see about reinforcing and building and fortifying uninhabited islands to control and force a chokehold in disputed territory is all a ' mirage? ' 

 

Western propaganda, eh?

 

 

 

Exactly. Western Propaganda. The same as the many things in China they say about the West. 
 

And don’t think I am a Chinese or a Wumao. I am a white born European. Grew up in Europe, rest of my life in China. Fed up with the propaganda and manipulation from both sides, and the idiots who believe either side.

6 minutes ago, ctxa said:

Exactly. Western Propaganda. The same as the many things in China they say about the West. 
 

And don’t think I am a Chinese or a Wumao. I am a white born European. Grew up in Europe, rest of my life in China. Fed up with the propaganda and manipulation from both sides, and the idiots who believe either side.

 

 

Propaganda:

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view

 

Everything I have stated I can back up with evidence and provide supporting links as to what the Chinese have been doing including satellite images, can you?

 

 

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

Propaganda:

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view

 

Everything I have stated I can back up with evidence and provide supporting links as to what the Chinese have been doing including satellite images, can you?

 

 

 

Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan you won't have any more evidence than that published in western media. If you are gonna show me an article which shows some supposed papers signed by high profile Chinese politicians saying what to do with Xinjiang people. I can fire up Photoshop and give you one such decree signed by Donald Trump stating ThaiVisa is the best ????

 

The fact that you wholeheartedly believe it, does not mean it is not propaganda and/or fake evidence. 

 

And the disputes with the waters, I never said they didn't exist. But if you think the Chinese are the demon stealing other's waters, and the Americans altruistically send their troops to protect those waters for the good of the entire world, you've swallowed and assimilated lotta western propaganda ????

 

And the fact that the Americans are there helps a lot fuel those disputes, wait and see if the Americans go now that Duterte started complaining, and see what happens. I would bet with you nothing more will happen 

If America want's a base in this region put it where your real friends are and that's Darwin Australia. Duterte can't be trusted, one day Pro-China next day Pro- America, give me a break!

Let China have the P.I. With the speed of today's Arm Forces, it's no longer a strategic location. 

2 hours ago, ctxa said:

Exactly. Western Propaganda. The same as the many things in China they say about the West. 
 

And don’t think I am a Chinese or a Wumao. I am a white born European. Grew up in Europe, rest of my life in China. Fed up with the propaganda and manipulation from both sides, and the idiots who believe either side.

Hey time to go back to your Chinese friends,

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

If America want's a base in this region put it where your real friends are and that's Darwin Australia. Duterte can't be trusted, one day Pro-China next day Pro- America, give me a break!

but don't forget that China already completely runs the Darwin Ports - via their unrestricted Lease

11 minutes ago, flexomike said:

Hey time to go back to your Chinese friends,

what you gonna tell me where I can be and can not be? ???????????? 

 

Only through the safety of Internet I reckon 

 

Grow up 

Propaganda:

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Just like the USA, UK and others did with their invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya. I can go on but the list is too long.

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

If America want's a base in this region put it where your real friends are and that's Darwin Australia. Duterte can't be trusted, one day Pro-China next day Pro- America, give me a break!

Darwin, where Australia leased the entire port to China?

3 hours ago, ctxa said:

 Buy a chair, sit down, wait and see how wrong you are ????

The future is called that for a reason. It is unknown what will play out, regardless who is sitting down.

1 minute ago, DoneTravelling said:

Darwin, where Australia leased the entire port to China?

yes... 'that' Darwin 

Just now, tifino said:

yes... 'that' Darwin 

Dumb Ozzies dont seem to know who's side they are on

Just now, DoneTravelling said:

Dumb Ozzies dont seem to know who's side they are on

it's the State Premiers/Territory Chief Ministers that have been involved in this stupidity.  The (Federal) Prime Minister has already begun the throes of having these 'undone'