Amidst the upcoming  termination  of the United States and Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Philippine and U.S. soldiers continued to fulfill commitments under the Agreement up to its end.

President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier ordered the termination of the VFA due to the cancellation of the U.S. visa of  Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, one  of the President’s  closest allies.  

Part of the VFA was a month-long training program on counterterrorism which Philippine and US soldiers concluded recently in Palawan province.

According to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Manila, the Philippine Army’s 18th Special Forces Company and a contingent from the US Army Special Operations Forces took part in the Palawan training program.  

“U.S. and Philippine service members conducted joint/combined exchange training (JCET) in Palawan from January to February to develop counterterrorism tactics and skills.  U.S. Army Special Operations Forces and elite contingents of the Philippine 18th Special Forces Company conducted joint training that covered a variety of counterterrorism subjects and exercises,” the U.S.  Embassy statement read.  

“Training not only focused on tactical skills, but also stressed the importance of local community support and outreach as part of a holistic counterterrorism strategy,” according to the statement.  

“Each JCET is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and on average costs an estimated 5,000,000 PHP ($100,000),” said the U.S. Embassy.

“Last year, DOD sponsored seven U.S.-Philippine JCET events, exceeding Php50,000,000 ($1,000,000),” they said.

“With the knowledge and experience gained from training shoulder-to-shoulder, the U.S. and Philippine troops continue to hone their counterterrorism tactics and skills,” the U.S. Embassy said.

“The joint training also helps to strengthen the longstanding bond between U.S. and Philippine military forces,” the U.S. Embassy said.

“The United States, as a longstanding friend, partner, and ally of the Philippines, continues to provide support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines through a variety of trainings,” the U.S. Embassy also said./Stacy Ang