The president of the Philippines said the United States “will have to pay” if it is to maintain the troop deployment agreement between the two countries.

The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, said that on Friday The United States has to pay if it wants to maintain the troop deployment agreement with its country, considered fundamental to the North American strategy in Asia.

Duterte, a passionate nationalist who openly disapproves of the US military alliance and unilaterally canceled the Visiting Force Agreement (VFA) last year in a furious response from the refusal by the United States to issue a visa for the United States to an ally of hers

However, the the waiting time has been extended twice to create what Filipino officials say one window for more negotiable conditions

Speaking to Philippine forces on Friday after inspecting the newly acquired air force, Duterte said: “If there is a US agent here, I would advise them that if they want the Visiting Forces Agreement to be made from now on, they should pay.”

It’s a shared responsibilitybut your share of responsibility is not free anyway, when war breaks out, we all payDuterte said, referring to Washington and Beijing have increased their military activities in the South China Sea

Duterte has not worked out or specified how much the United States would have to pay.

The Philippines’ defense apparatus wants to keep the VFAas it has been vital in increasing the capabilities of Philippine armed forces with low income through dozens of annual joint training exercises, Duterte’s Secretary of Defense noted.

US and Filipino officials met on Thursday to resolve disagreements over the VFA, in what was the first meeting under the administration of the US president Joe Biden, which the alliance has confirmed in light of China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

“(The United States) is free to advance its troops in our country. We don’t like it because we want to stay neutralDuterte said. “But the question of the moment requires your presence here, I agree”he added.

Relations between the United States and the former East Asian colony have been complicated by the rise of Duterte in 2016 and his frequent statements condemning US foreign policy and open acceptance of China

Duterte reiterated that he wanted to avoid confronting China over maritime claims that “would lead to something we can barely afford.”

(With information from Reuters)

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