Teodoro wants review after polls

MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. branded yesterday as ill-timed any move to renegotiate or abrogate the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) due to the prevailing political season.

Teodoro, who is expected to be the presidential candidate of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD in the 2010 elections, said he does not favor the renegotiation or abrogation of the VFA, but he supports a thorough study or review of the agreement after the elections.

“We should conduct a thorough study (of the VFA) after the political season is over,” Teodoro said in an interview yesterday at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Makati where he was among the key speakers in the two-day Public Governance Forum (PGF) attended by municipal and city mayors and business leaders that included Jesus Estanislao, chairman of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA).

Teodoro was reacting to the approval on second reading of Senate Resolution No. 1356 authored by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago the other night that urged Malacañang to abrogate the VFA if the Americans would object to a renegotiation of the accord.

Santiago cited several grounds why the accord should be renegotiated or terminated, among them the shabby treatment the country gets from the US despite being an ally, and only hand-me-downs or excess defense equipment that are being provided to the Philippine military.

“If it (review of VFA) will be done now, emotions and politics will get in the way,” Teodoro said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief for operations Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza said that under the VFA, a number of soldiers’ lives were saved in Sulu and Basilan because of the intelligence assistance provided by US troops.

At least 600 US troops are deployed in the country, mostly in Mindanao, as part of the VFA.

Teodoro said that the US government is providing the local military with the right equipment it can operate and maintain.

“We accept defense equipment based on our needs and also in our capability to handle and maintain these military equipment the right way,” Teodoro pointed out.

He said that the benefits the country gets out of the VFA, especially the military, far outweigh the disadvantages.

Meanwhile, there were military plans to acquire modern equipment from the US or other allies countries but budgetary constraints have hampered the procurement program.

“We can purchase modern aircraft or helicopter gunships, why not? But the question is, with our modest military budget can we maintain these modern aircraft in top shape? Maintaining these aircraft is very costly,” a senior military official said.

Teodoro said that the military is far behind compared to other Asian countries due to the low defense budget.