President Rodrigo Duterte threatened last month to rip-up an agreement between the Philippines and the US, which would stop Washington’s troops from training in the country. The row was sparked after Mr Duterte’s ally had his visa in the US cancelled after the White House expressed concern over Manila’s methods for combating drug-related crime in the Philippines. The leader lashed out in animated fashion, calling on President Trump to reverse the decision if he wanted a security accord to remain intact.
Mr Duterte said in January: “I’m warning you … if you won’t do the correction on this, I will terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement. I’ll end that son of a b***h.”
Terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement would affect more than 300 joint training and other activities this year with US forces.
It would also represent a key boost to China, as the country’s forces continue to target contested island chains in the vicinity of US military bases.
The Spratly Islands form the epicentre of the complex disputes, as China occupies seven features, and has heavily militarised its portion of the archipelago.
In 2016, the US reached an agreement with the Philippines to build five military installations located throughout the country.
The base which infuriated Beijing more than any other was the Antonio Bautista Air Base on western Palawan island, which faces the hotly disputed Spratly islands directly.
Described by many as “island fortresses”, China has engulfed the Spratly archipelago with man-made island bases.
The moving of its aircraft carriers, airstrips and weapons into the region has earned the cluster of bases the nickname: “The Great Wall of Sand.”
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The removal of US presence in the South China Sea would be devastating to US efforts to challenge China’s dominance, and a key Filipino figure has also warned such a move could also hurt his own country’s interests.
Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr warned his own President against any move to dent the US’ military presence.
He said on Thursday: “While the Philippines has the prerogative to terminate the VFA anytime, the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any predicates were it to be terminated.”