[33] According to some reports, the agreement would include joint access to the Philippine military, but not to civilian facilities. [34] Through this agreement, we guaranteed our national defence. We have been forming our military relationship with the United States for 99 years. We have defined the community of interests that will unite our two peoples for nearly a century. I think that is a great advantage for the Philippines. The United States does not enjoy a single privilege that does not serve the common interest of our two countries. The whole agreement is aimed at mutual protection and the promotion of our interest, together with that of the United States, in maintaining peace in this part of the world. From now on, we are assured that no aggressor will commit to penetrate into us lightly. All other areas currently occupied by the army and navy are not considered bases, but temporary facilities that must be evacuated within two years. The U.S. military assures me that most of these temporary facilities will be evacuated in a much shorter time and made available for public and private use. The issue of jurisdiction was one of the most sensitive issues we faced.

It is a fundamental doctrine in the armed forces that a commanding officer must have full control of his troops, especially with regard to discipline. The mere existence of an armed force depends on this general requirement. Nevertheless, we were faced with a situation in which these American troops had to be installed on Philippine soil. The jurisdiction of our courts and laws had to be preserved. After long and intense studies, a formula has been drawn up which, in my opinion, will satisfy in an extremely satisfactory manner both the military requirements and the essential dignity of our own sovereign jurisdiction. I believe that the agreements we have reached on this subject are a happy compromise on the most important demands that had to be met. MANILA (ADDED): The Philippines said Tuesday it has officially informed the United States that it is ending a military pact that has given security cover to the longtime U.S. allente for the past two decades. Second, it is unclear whether the president has the constitutional power to repeal an international agreement ratified by the Philippine Senate. Senators still disagree on whether Duterte can unilaterally denounce the VFA and have even proposed that the Supreme Court weigh in on the legality of Duterte`s decision. “They don`t mean any damage,” he said of China and its military, as long as “we don`t do something that is harmful to them.” In its joint resolution, the Philippine Congress fully endorsed “the policy and intent of Joint Resolution No.