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MANILA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday announced the termination of a two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States (VFA), delivering on threats to downgrade an alliance important to U.S. interests. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper called the decision "unfortunate" and said it would be a move in the wrong direction at a time when Washington and its allies were trying to press China to abide by "international rules of order" in Asia. The mercurial Duterte, who has clashed with the United States over several issues, decided to pull the plug on the troop rotation pact with the former colonial ruler to enable the Philippines to be more independent in its relations with other countries, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
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