MANILA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The United States is providing
the Philippines with military aid that amounts to "loose change"
compared to other Asian countries, a top official said on
Monday, justifying demands by President Rodrigo Duterte for
Washington to pay more.
Duterte last week said the United States should fork out
more if it wants to maintain a two-decade old Visiting Forces
Agreement (VFA), which he unilaterally cancelled last year in an
angry response to an ally being denied a U.S. visa.
"If we have very strong ties with a very strong ally then I
think it also comes with a higher amount of financial assistance
to be given," presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a regular
briefing.
Roque cited a study by the Washington-based Stimson Center,
which showed the Philippines received $3.9 billion in U.S.
counter-terrorism support from fiscal year 2002-2017 compared to
the $16.4 billion for Pakistan over the same period.
"We got $3.9 billion. Is that a huge amount? That's loose
change compared to what other countries were getting," he said.
The militaries of the two countries enjoy close ties, forged
during decades of joint exercises that have boosted the
capability of Philippine forces while giving the United States
an important strategic foothold in a region where China's power
and influence is growing.
Defence officials from both countries are trying to salvage
the VFA, which underpins the Mutual Defense Treaty and an
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Duterte has threatened
to scrap all of them. The U.S. embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. In December, it said the Philippines
received the most U.S. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific
region, having received 33 billion pesos ($688.65 million) worth
of hardware.
Roque said Duterte was upholding the national interest and
not committing extortion, as some critics have said. His demand
was for compensation, because the rotating U.S. troop presence
put the Philippines at risk.
"Are we correct in asking for payment so they can maintain
their presence and equipment (here)? Why not?" Roque said.