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MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte notified the United States government on Saturday that he would continue to repeal the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) if he was unable to provide the Philippines with its COVID-19 vaccines.
In a meeting with cabinet members and infectious disease experts in Malacañang, Duterte demanded at least 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from the US to stop the termination of VFAs.
“Your Visiting Forces Agreement is coming to an end. Now when I disagree, they really leave. If they can’t administer at least a minimum of 20 million (doses) of vaccines, they better leave, ”Duterte said.
“Without vaccination, don’t stay here,” he added.
Duterte ordered the termination of the VFA last February in response to the revocation of the US visa of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, his former police chief who led his brutal war on drugs.
In June, the Philippines retracted the termination that was supposed to take effect in August due to “political and other developments in the region.” The suspension “will continue for 6 months.”
Last month, the Philippine government suspended the term of the termination of the VFA, but negotiations for a long-term agreement continue.
The VFA, signed in 1998, granted legal status to US troops that rotated in the country for military exercises and humanitarian assistance operations.
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