Visiting Forces Agreement: A peace-keeping toll or a conflict-generating mechanism for the Philippines

• Main Authors: Cabigunda, Jan Claudine P., Kok, Katrisha Analine B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Philippines > Military relations > United States; United States > Military relations > Philippines; Military assistance, American > Philippines; Military, War, and Peace
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/5598
• Institution: De La Salle University

Visiting Forces Agreement: a peace-keeping tool or a conflict generating mechanism for the Philippines? is a thesis that tackles the controversial provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States. This paper aims to examine the constitutionality of the provisions of the VFA based on its compliance with the country's national sovereignty, national interest, territorial integrity and right to self-determination.The controversial provisions under the VFA are Article 5, section 3 (d) and 6, which tackles the transfer of jurisdiction and custody of the American criminal offender in the Philippines, and article 6, which tackle the waiver of claims of both the Philippines and the U.S. as against the damage and loss brought about by the military activities of the VFA.The murder of Jeffrey Jennifer Laude has sparked protests against the VFA once again. With the previous case of U.S. service military men's crime in the Philippines, the families of the Filipino victims seek after a clamor of justice.This thesis will give a glimpse on how oppressed the Filipinos are because of agreements such as the Visiting Forces Agreement. Despite the said agreement having great importance to the Philippines in different aspects, the researchers will elucidate how the three branches of government may fix some of the provisions.