[6] They were detained by U.S. officials at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. This has led to protests from those who believe the agreement is unilateral, damaging and contrary to the sovereignty of the Philippines. [Citation required] The agreement was characterized to grant immunity from prosecution to U.S. military personnel who commit crimes against Filipinos[7] and to treat Filipinos as second-class citizens in their own country. [8] [9] Because of these problems, some members of the Philippine Congress considered ending the VFA in 2006. [10] [11] However, the agreement has not been amended. A1: No. The VFA is an agreement between the two countries in support of the Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT). The MDT was created in 1951 between the United States and the Philippines to support each other in the event of a foreign attack.
The main effect of the agreement is to require the U.S. government to notify Philippine authorities when it becomes aware of the arrest, arrest, or detention of Philippine personnel visiting the United States and, at the request of the Philippine government, to request the relevant authorities to relinquish jurisdiction in favor of the Philippines, except in cases of special interest to the United States. . . .
