President Rodrigo Duterte’s push to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement is seen to further escalate tension and give China the upper hand in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), which is believed to hold huge oil and natural gas deposits. Georgetown University professor Oriana Skylar Mastro warned that 2020 would be a year of intensifying security competition between China and the US as both are willing to take greater risks to gain advantage. “It is only a matter of time before this security competition in the South China Sea spills over into a crisis,” she said. Duterte recently called for an end to the VFA between the Philippines and the US as he expressed outrage over Washington’s cancellation of the US visa of former police chief and incumbent Sen. Ronald de la Rosa. This is seen as part of the US crackdown on human rights violators.

VFA repeal to embolden China on West Philippine Sea claim. (2020, March 5). Manila Standard, p. B1.