West PH Sea: PH eyes visiting forces deal with UK amid tensions

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will begin formal negotiations with the United Kingdom on a visiting forces agreement, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Wednesday, following London’s expression of interest in strengthening defense cooperation.

He revealed during an interview at Malacañang that British Minister of Defence John Healey recently sent a letter proposing a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with Manila.

“We welcome this development because then it will be the second European country that we will be negotiating a SOVFA with,” Teodoro said. “The next step will be for me to be authorized by the president to negotiate such a SOVFA. They’re very interested, of course, in multilateral maritime exercises.”

A SOVFA is a bilateral accord that establishes the legal framework for how military personnel from one country are treated while temporarily operating in the territory of the other.

Teodoro said the UK’s proposal reflects growing interest in joint maritime activities as tensions escalate in the West Philippine Sea due to China’s aggressive actions.

He added that the partnership could also benefit the Armed Forces of the Philippines by tapping Britain’s operational expertise.

“We see a fit also with our army and their army being smaller armed forces. We can learn a lot from the way that they operate,” Teodoro said.

READ: West PH Sea: UK visiting forces pact seen as clear support for PH claim

He stressed that any future pact would also affirm Britain’s support for international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s sweeping maritime claims.

“Underlying that SOVFA is full support, not only for UN-closely recognized international law, but full support for the arbitral award. That is the clearest expression a country may have to support our position in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Teodoro clarified that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. still needs to grant formal authority to open talks, he does not foresee any significant hurdles once consultations with the Department of Foreign Affairs are completed.

Teodoro earlier met with UK Minister of State for Defense Lord Vernon Coaker at Camp Aguinaldo, where both sides signaled readiness to advance defense cooperation./mcm