Lorenzana refutes Panelo on VFA termination order by Duterte

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana claimed on Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte has not formally ordered a notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to be sent to the US, contrary to a previous announcement by Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo.

“This is fake news. Sec. Locsin has not yet[ seen] the document,” Lorenzana told reporters in a chat group, referring to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who said the President had ordered Panelo to send the termination notice.

Panelo announced on Friday that “President Duterte is instructing the Executive Secretary [ Salvador ] Medialdea to inform Secretary of Foreign Affairs Locsin to give the termination notice to the US Government.”