MANILA: The defense minister in Manila stated that the signing of a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation by the Philippines and Canada on Friday could eventually result in a troop agreement between the two nations.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated in a statement, “I’m glad to hear that there is a strong intention on both sides to deepen and strengthen the relationships by forging new milestones in our defense relations to culminate, perhaps, with the Visiting Forces Agreement.”
Teodoro did not specify the nature of a potential VFA with Canada; however, the Philippines already has a VFA with the US that permits the movement of thousands of US soldiers in and out of the country for war games and drills.
According to the ministry of defense, the memorandum will expedite collaboration between the military and defense establishments in both nations for military education, training exchanges, information exchange, peacekeeping missions, and disaster relief.
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“The strongest assets we have are the mutual trust and confidence that we have in one another…and because we are dealing with each other in a straightforward, open, and on a rules-based manner, such trust is reinforced and will surpass political changes and the tests of time,” Teodoro stated.
Canada has stood behind the Philippines against China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, supporting the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 decision that China’s claims in the region lacked legal foundation. China disputes that conclusion.
The October agreement between the Philippines and Canada to utilize Ottawa’s Dark Vessel Detection (DVD) system to combat illicit, unreported, and unregulated fishing by vessels that have turned off their location transmitters to avoid detection was followed by the signing of the memorandum.
