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| Counterterrorism (CT) Aid per Country by the US from 2001 to 2017. The label of the last Column is wrong, it should've read "Total FY 2001 -FY 2017", you can verify this by adding the amounts from 2001 to 2017 |
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque gave a very good argument as to why the Philippine should ask the United States (US) for payment for the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) as President Rodrigo Duterte said recently.
Roque pointed out a Study made by the American Research Organization The Stimson Center in 2018 called “Counterterrorism Spending: Protecting America While Promoting Efficiencies and Accountability”.
The Study showed that the US gave Pakistan a total of Usd 16.4 billion in Aid for Counterterrorism (CT) from 2001 to 2017 while giving the Philippines only Usd 3.9 billion for the same period.
* Iraq = Usd 61.8 billion total, (Usd 3.6 billion per Year)
* Pakistan = Usd 16.4 billion total, (Usd 964 million per Year)
* Kenya = Usd 9.2 billion total, (Usd 541 million per Year)
* Nigeria = Usd 6.1 billion total, (Usd 359 million per Year)
* Indonesia = Usd 4.4 billion total, (Usd 259 million per Year)
* Philippines = Usd 3.9 billion total, (Usd 229 million per Year)
* Somalia = Usd 3.6 billion total, (Usd 212 million per Year)
* Syria = Usd 3.0 billion total, (Usd 176 million per Year)
* Bangladesh = Usd 2.8 billion total, (Usd 165 million per Year)
* Yemen = Usd 1.6 billion total, (Usd 94 million per Year)
* Tunisia = Usd 0.9 billion total, (Usd 53 million per Year)
So the Philippines got less CT Aid from the US than Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria and Indonesia. Of those 6 Countries, I know that the US has a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq and Afghanistan.
I know they don’t have any SOFA with Indonesia because I reported several times how last Year (2020) they outright refused permission for US P-8 Poseidon Aircraft to land there. And yet they got a lot more CT Aid than us from the US.
As for the remaining 3 Countries, I am not so sure if they have SOFAs with the US or not.
China for example has reportedly helped Pakistan develop its own Nuclear Weapons Program, and also provided Technology Transfer for Military Assets like the JF-17 Thunder, the A-100 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the VT-1A Al-Khalid Main Battle Tank (MBT).
Just last Month (January 2021) it was announced that Pakistan is acquiring 4 Type 054A/P Frigates, 8 Hangor class Submarines and some Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV), all from China.
China will provide Technology Transfer with the Hangor class Submarines as 4 of them will be built in Pakistan.
And yet despite that very close alliance, the US is giving them a lot more CT Aid than us, almost a Billion Dollars per Year which I found to be quite stunning. So Pakistan has the best of both Worlds, getting a lot of Aid from both the US and China.
To them that was more than enough, no more need for Monetary compensation, they apparently were dancing around with their Hands in the air and crying Tears of Joy when America allowed them to do that.
Anyway it seems that by mentioning Pakistan’s CT Aid, that may be the Duterte Government’s target in terms of how much to charge the US for the VFA. If we get anywhere near that number, it will be quite a windfall indeed for the Philippines.
Makes me wonder though how much China would be willing to pay for a VFA also with the Philippines. Imagine that, if we can get both Countries to pay us for VFAs …
* Duterte ‘not extorting’ US on VFA; PH should be getting more than $3.9-B, says Roque {Archived Link}
* Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Has It Been Utilized? {Archived Link}
* Exclusive: Indonesia rejected U.S. request to host Spy Planes - Officials {Archived Link}
* Pakistan to acquire 8 Submarines, 4 Frigates from China in Navy Modernisation Bid {Archived Link}
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