President Aquino gives go signal for Philippines to start negotiations with United States on policy of increased rotational presence through framework agreement

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 12): President Aquino gives go signal for Philippines to start negotiations with United States on policy of increased rotational presence through framework agreement

  President Benigno S. Aquino III has already given his go-signal for the Philippines to start this week the negotiations with the United States to institutionalize the policy of increased rotational presence through a framework agreement, a Palace official said on Monday.

"They have secured the permission from the President to start the negotiations, so obviously, they informed the President about these things," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.

Lacierda also announced the creation of a panel comprising of representatives from the Department of Justice, Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs to handle the communications for increased rotational presence of American forces in the country.

"They have already formed a panel which is comprised of the DOJ, the DND and the DFA; and they will be handling the communications with respect to the negotiations," Lacierda said.

"We’re not going to be involved with respect to the negotiations. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta has been designated as the spokesperson for the Philippine panel on the framework agreement for the increased rotational presence," Lacierda.

Lacierda noted the need to come out with a framework agreement with the US to ensure that the increased rotational presence of American troops is within the parameters of the Constitution and Philippine laws.

The negotiations will enable the Philippines and US to conduct activities such as bilateral exercises, including the prepositioning of equipment for disaster response and development of Philippine facilities, among others.

"The focus of the increased rotational presence also will involve not only our credible defense position – minimum credible defense position – but also a shift to humanitarian and disaster response," he said.

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