The President of the Philippines has threatened to cancel the agreement allowing the US to deploy troops in the country if Washington does not restore a visa to an official.

"If you do not handle the matter, I will end the presence of bases and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). I set a deadline of one month from now for the US government." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday spoke at an event on the island of Leyte.

The VFA agreement, signed between Washington and Manila in 1998, provides a legal basis for the presence of thousands of US troops circulating in the Philippines, for drills and humanitarian assistance.

Duterte's anger stems from the US's refusal to allow Senator Philippines Ronaldo dela Rosa to enter. The official said the US embassy in the Philippines did not explain the reason his visa was canceled, but believed that the decision stemmed from allegations of murder without trial for more than two years as a police commander. Philippines country.

Dela Rosa, Duterte's political ally, led the implementation of the Philippine President's controversial anti-drug campaign, killing more than 5,000 people. Police have the right to shoot and kill suspects on the spot without going through trial.

Washington is Manila's largest defense ally, and millions of its people have relatives who are US citizens. However, Duterte does not hide his discomfort with Washington and tends to be close to Beijing.

Last month, Duterte banned U.S. senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy from entering the country, after they proposed to the US Congress a provision to prosecute the prosecution of Philippine opposition senator Leila de Lima. She led an investigation into the thousands of people killed in Duterte's anti-drug campaign but was later charged with drug trafficking by the Duterte government in early 2017.