US might start pulling out forces, equipment – Lacson
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2020 05:39:07 +0000
SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said the United States might start pulling out its forces and military equipment within the first 90 days of the 180-day countdown for the effectivity of the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Manila and Washington.
The senator, chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defense, said the 180-day will end on August 9. “Formally, talagang wala na, mga August ito (Formally, it’s really gone, this will be around August),” he said.
“Pero ang critical dito, ang first 90 days (But the critical [phase in this period], is the first 90 days),” Lacson said in a radio interview.
“Kasi siyempre, ito ang period kung saan magsisimula nang mag-pullout ang US kung ano man ang equipment and facilities nila rito, ang tropa nila rito. Tatapusin nila ‘yan ang first 90 days ng 180 days (This is the period where the US will start to pull out whatever [military] equipment and facilities they have here, [including] their troops. They will finish doing that within the first 90 days of the 180 days),” he added.
The Senate on February 10 adopted a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his plan to terminate the agreement. Bernadette E. Tamayo