US unhappy with Philippine move to abrogate visiting forces agreement: off

[Judi Lynn]

UPDATED: 07:45, January 26, 2006
US unhappy with Philippine move to abrogate visiting forces agreement: official

The U.S. government is reportedly unhappy with a committee of the Philippine Congress over its adoption of a resolution calling for the abrogation of the U.S.- Philippine Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which allows joint military exercises to be held in the Philippines.

A senior official of the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said a U.S. Embassy official has expressed his disapproval of the resolution, adopted this month after six U.S. marines were accused of raping a Filipino woman in November last year.

These marines came to the Philippines to participate in a joint military exercise in the Subic Bay, former U.S. navy base northwest of Manila.

"The US Embassy official warned that the Philippines do not stand to lose a lot, but all if we abrogate the agreement," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

A watchdog committee of VFA of the Philippine Congress approved a concurrent resolution calling for the termination of the VFA citing some lopsided provisions in the treaty, particularly those concerning who should take into custody of U.S. soldiers suspected of committing a crime.
(snip/...)

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/26/eng20060126_238330.html

[madrchsod]

1. Philippine-American War 1899-1902

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/papa/philippines1899.htm
maybe they are getting tried of being pushed around

[MrPrax]

2. Another prediction coming true...

It is becoming increasingly difficult for even allied gov'ts to go to bat for the US in their countries.

The amount of goodwill foreign politicians have to use to pacify the populations is too much for too little gain.

South Korea and Pakistan are getting chippy as well, not to mention, a good chunk of Latin America...

Jeez, one would think that countries with a longer history of democratic freedom, due process, civil rights and large social democratic parties would be as just as daring.