Press Release
March 17, 2009

Zubiri to anti-VFA groups: Weigh the pros and cons

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri today urged groups and individuals calling for the repeal of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to first weigh the pros and cons before seriously challenging the US government to withdraw their forces from the Philippines.

"We have an on going peace and order conflict in the extreme south of Mindanao where American troops down there in the terrain help our soldiers spot the ICRC kidnap victims," Zubiri said in an interview with the ANC.

He said the technical support given to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) by the US troops is one of the very important tools extended to the country at present in a move to expedite the rescue of three ICRC workers namely Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andress Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba after they were kidnapped in Sulu on Jan. 15.

He added that without the VFA the American soldiers will not be in Mindanao assisting the armed forces because there will be no assurance of Filipino troop's safety and security.

He also called on the critics of the RP-US joint military and training exercises to instead go to the Senate and participate in the debates and committee deliberations and

see from the debates whether the Philippines could stand without getting any help from the United States.

"If we can survive as an independent nation like what Malaysia and other countries had done in the past then, so be it. But these are the things that have to be discussed and have to be debated lengthily in the Senate committee on foreign relations," Zubiri explained.

The Majority Leader likewise identified three possible scenarios if the US soldiers will pullout their military personnel in the country. These include the immediate halt of training exercises; drastic drop in the donation or grant of ammunitions, armaments, planes and military equipment; and third, the probable delisting of the most-favored-nations status of the Philippines and downgrading of the trading partnership between the US and the Philippines.

"They may drop us from the most favourable nation status which I think is very important at this time because we are facing financial crisis. We need to strengthen our trading partnerships all around the world and the United States is our biggest trading partner."

He said among the Philippine made agricultural products that would likely suffer if President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will adhere to the demand of the anti-VFA forces are sugar, corn, and coconuts which will in turn will have a domino effect on our export industry.

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