Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA has been a long issue since we can remember it. Even without the controversial “rape case” issue of Smith, VFA is always in question if it really benefits us aside from money. United States is the Philippines’ largest source of foreign military financing which valued at an average of $30 million annually and they share with the expenses for the implementation of the Join Defense Assessment or JDA. It cost approximately $400 million ever since the 10-year period of the VFA.

Overtime, do we see this improvement?

United States have already lots of issues, not just in economy but also in politics. With the recent events, they’re like magnets right now for more terrorism.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee on the VFA is now responsible in reviewing VFA. Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bellow III comments, “The review of the VFA is the mandate of the Senate, If the Senate’s position is to review the implication of the VFA, we have to respect that as a co-equal body.”

One more thing that is very controversial is that no one is aware of the sudden departure of Smith, not even his lawyer Jose Justiniano.