A law expert on the legality of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) said on Wednesday that he is ready to recommend before the Senate the scrapping of the said bilateral agreement between the Philippines and the United States because this is only being used by the Americans as a cover-up for its pseudo-military bases here.

University of the East (UE) College of Law Dean Amado Valdez said that as far as he is concerned, there is no need to have the VFA because we can still allow American forces to come to our country to conduct military exercises to address terrorism and for other specific purposes.

The Senate hearing on the VFA was ordered set Thursday by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago after she questioned the apparent overstaying of American forces helping the military fight terrorists in Mindanao.

Santiago said she would invite the secretaries of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and National Defense along with the representatives of other government agencies and concerned sectors to attend the public hearing to tackle this matter.

"I will definitely go there (Senate hearing) tomorrow (today) and recommend the scrapping of the VFA. The US is using this (VFA) for its basing operation and as a cover-up for its pseudo military bases here. Kahit wala ito, we can allow forces to come to our country to address terrorism and other specific purposes. After na achieve ito, they can go,” Valdez told reporters during the Fernandina Forum at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.
 
Valdez, who once headed the VFA monitoring committee, said the US has also use the VFA for the protection of its American soldiers, such as the case of convicted rapist US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith who was taken at the United States Embassy instead to a local prison after he was sentenced to imprisonment by a Makati City court almost three years ago.

But Smith was eventually freed after the Court of Appeals acquitted him of charges.

“Nagagamit din nila ito to protect their soldiers. The VFA gives legal protection that they will not be in the hands of Philippine authorities during their stint here in the country,“ he said.