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A lawmaker on Sunday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to consult national security advisers and experts before making any statement threatening to revoke the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States.

House defense committee senior vice chair Rep. Ruffy Biazon said the President should consider issues such as the West Philippine Sea dispute and the Philippine military鈥檚 modernization before making such statements.

鈥淪ana 鈥榶ung statement ng Pangulo ay nakabase sa consultation within the security sector ng ating bansa鈥攊big sabihin 鈥榶ung kanyang national security advisers鈥攄ahil malaking implications nito sa larangan ng defense sa ating bansa. Lalong lalo na may mga issues na pumuputok sa West Philippine Sea at saka sa estado ng modernization ng ating armed forces,鈥� Biazon said.

(Hopefully, the statement of the President is based on the consultation聽within the country鈥檚 security sector鈥攖his means his聽national security advisers鈥攂ecause this has major implications to the country鈥檚 defense. Especially since there are issues on the West Philippine Sea and the state of our armed forces鈥� modernization.)

鈥淪o sana kung gumawa siya ng decision na ganon, magkaroon ng malawak na kunsultasyon at advice mula doon sa mga national security experts at mga involved na agencies sa national defense,鈥� he added.

(So if he鈥檒l make a decision now, there should be extensive consultation and advice from national security experts and those聽involved in聽agencies of national defense.)

Upon arriving in Davao from his state visits to Cambodia and Singapore, Duterte threatened to abrogate the VFA after the US aid agency put on hold funding for antipoverty projects in the country. Months ago, the President said he wants all foreign troops out of the country in two years.

鈥淵ou know, America, you might also be put on notice. Prepare to leave the Philippines. Prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement,鈥� Duterte said. 鈥淏a-bye America, and work on the protocols that would eventually move you out from the Philippines.鈥�

Noting that the VFA is an executive agreement and not a treaty, Duterte said he would decide on it 鈥渁ny day soon.鈥�

Biazon said the President should talk to the defense department and Congress leaders before making any decision regarding the VFA, which he said will have serious implications on national defense.

鈥淧ero bukod d鈥檡an, syempre kailangan din natin bigyan ng pag iisip dito鈥� ito ay nagiging escalation. 鈥榊ung bigay bawi. 鈥楶ag may ginawa ang isang panig, bawi 鈥榶ong isa. 鈥榊ong ganito kasi ang nagiging resulta nito ay yong degradation ng relationship. Kung ang nagiging basehan ng mga decision ay 鈥榶ong babawian kita. Ganunan na lang. And it might not be advisable for us to do that. Parang naghanap tayo ng kaaway,鈥� he said.

(Besides that, of course we need to consider this鈥� this is escalation. A sudden retraction. When one side does something, the other retracts. This results to degradation of the relationship. The basis of the decisions would be the retractions. And it might not be advisable for us to do that. It鈥檚 as if we鈥檙e looking for enemies.)

Biazon said the Armed Forces鈥� modernization will suffer a setback if the VFA will abrogated.

鈥淗indi maikakaila na ang ating armed forces ay natututo dyan sa mga exercises na ginagawa dito sa ating bansa. Mutually beneficial, nakakakuha tayo ng kaalaman para sa ating armed forces at nagbubukas din ng daan para sa modern equipment na either access o kaya 鈥榶ong exposure doon sa paggamit ng mga equipment na 鈥榶an. So merong benefit sa atin as far as defense is concerned,鈥� he said.

(It can鈥檛 be denied that our armed forces learn from the exercises they do here. It鈥檚 mutually beneficial, we get knowledge for our armed forces and it also paves the way for us to have access or exposure to modern equipment. We benefit as far as defense is concerned.)

鈥淜ung bigla tayong mag shift sa ibang defense ally, retraining at retooling ang mangyayari sa armed forces natin. 鈥榊ong momentum ng modernization will be set back. Isa 鈥榶on sa mga kino-consider natin dapat dyan,鈥� Biazon added.

(If we suddently shift to a different defense ally, our armed forces will have to undergo retraining and retooling. The momentum of modernization will be set back. That鈥檚 one of the things we need to consider.)聽JE/rga