Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced in February that Manila was ending Philippines\u2013United States Visiting\u00a0Forces\u00a0Agreement allowing American forces to be temporarily stationed in the country. The government later reversed its decision, greenlighting the deal\u2019s functioning until the end of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s spokesman Harry Roque said on Monday that the earlier remark made by the president of the Philippines about ending Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) if the US fails to deliver millions of coronavirus vaccines was \u201cnot blackmail\u201d but rather \u201can exercise of his independent foreign policy\u201d, as quoted by Arab News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Saturday, Duterte said during a televised meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) that the United States would not be welcomed in the country if they don\u2019t provide Philippines with the newly registered Pfizer vaccine against COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe VFA is nearing its end. If they fail to deliver even a minimum of 20 million vaccines, they better get out. No vaccine, no stay here,\u201d the president was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you want to help, if America wants to help, you deliver. Stop talking. What we need is the vaccine, not your verbose speeches,\u201d Duterte added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His words were strongly condemned by Filipino senator Panfilo Lacson, who argued that \u201ctreating the Americans like a bunch of yokels might have sealed the Philippines\u2019 fate\u201d and apparently robbed the country of a chance to get the desired jabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere must be a more diplomatic or at least a better way of asking a long-time ally to help us with vaccines for our people without sounding like we are blackmailing them,\u201d the senator argued on Monday. \u201cWe had a good chance to procure vaccines early from the US, but someone from our side dropped the ball and has yet to be held accountable.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Duterte\u2019s spokesman Roque responded to claims, saying that there was \u201cnothing wrong\u201d with the president\u2019s words, as he still remains \u201cthe architect of the country\u2019s foreign policy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not blackmail. What the president is trying to convey is that we are friends so we should be helping each other,\u201d Roque maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the Philippines Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of any COVID vaccine so far although the president revealed on Monday that \u201cmany people\u201d in the country have already been given shots developed by China\u2019s Sinopharm pharmaceutical group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a meeting with the Cabinet, Duterte also publicly asked whether it was possible for him to be \u201cvaccinated again when the Pfizer vaccine arrives\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced in February that Manila was ending Philippines\u2013United States Visiting\u00a0Forces\u00a0Agreement allowing American forces to be temporarily stationed in the country. The government later reversed its decision, greenlighting the deal\u2019s functioning until the end of 2020. Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s spokesman Harry Roque said […]<\/p>\n
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