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Duterte threat to US over VFA gives impression PH a 'nation of extortionists': Lacson

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/10/17/101717_du30.jpg"/><figcaption>Composite of Senator Panfilo Lacson and President Rodrigo Duterte.<em> ABS-CBN News/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte asking the US to &quot;pay&quot; if it wants to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement may give the impression that the Philippines is a &quot;nation of extortionists,&quot; Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.</p><p>Lacson said a diplomatic approach would be more effective in ensuring the US would uphold its end of the agreement.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/12/21/duterte-tells-us-want-to-keep-vfa-you-have-to-pay">Duterte tells US: Want to keep VFA? You have to pay</a></li></ul><p>&quot;The President may have used strong words to send his message across to the US. But certainly, there is a more civil and statesmanlike manner to ask for compensation from a longtime ally using the usual diplomatic channels and still get the same desired results,&quot; Lacson said in a statement.</p><p>In a now-deleted tweet, Lacson had said the President should &quot;at least give the other party an elbow room to save face instead of looking bullied and stripped of dignity.&quot;</p><p>“I decided to take it down after giving it a thought that the President’s intention was to get a fair shake of the agreement, only he could have said it in a more diplomatic way. On crucial issues such as this, there should be no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding moving forward,” he said.</p><p>Lacson, chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense, earlier also called out Duterte for being &quot;threatening&quot; towards the US in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/28/20/duterte-should-be-more-diplomatic-not-threatening-us-for-covid-19-vaccines-lacson">Duterte should be &#x27;more diplomatic&#x27;, not threatening US for COVID-19 vaccines: Lacson</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/23/20/unfortunate-unnecessary-lacson-frowns-at-dutertes-threat-to-cancel-ph-us-vfa">&#x27;Unfortunate, unnecessary&#x27;: Lacson frowns on Duterte&#x27;s threat to cancel PH-US VFA</a></li></ul><p>Duterte last year unilaterally canceled the two-decade-old VFA, in an angry response to an <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/08/20/bato-says-us-agreed-to-fix-his-visa-before-vfa-u-turn">ally being denied a visa</a>. The withdrawal period has been twice extended to create what Philippine officials have said is a window for better terms to be agreed.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/11/21/ph-military-keen-to-keep-visiting-forces-deal-with-us-lorenzana">PH military keen to keep visiting forces deal with US - Lorenzana</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2kecK3mlll8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>President Rodrigo Duterte asking the US to "pay" if it wants to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement may give the impression that the Philippines is a "nation of extortionists," Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.</p>

President Rodrigo Duterte asking the US to "pay" if it wants to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement may give the impression that the Philippines is a "nation of extortionists," Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.