What Happened Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's Feb. 11 formal announcement to the United States that the Philippines would be withdrawing from the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in six months will increase the urgency of negotiations set to begin in March between the two countries over the major bilateral military pact. While an end to the VFA would not end the two countries' military relationship given that several other security agreements would remain in force between them, it would complicate that relationship. What It Means Despite Duterte's antagonism toward the United States since he took office in 2016, engagement between the two countries has increased over the past two years. In 2019, Manila was even able to favorably renegotiate its 70-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.