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With the possible termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it is "toeing the line" towards self reliance.

"It bears repeating: We can survive; we will; we should. The die is cast," said Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman on Thursday.

"The tolling of the 180-day period has commenced when US counterparts have received the Notice of VFA Termination," he said.

"We soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines are toeing the line of the Commander-in-Chief and President Rodrigo Duterte towards self-reliance," he added.

Arevalo recalled how the military struggled and survived after the military bases agreement (MBA) with the US was not renewed.

"We struggled but survived the period 1991-1998 when the MBA was no longer renewed, until the VFA was signed," he said.

"With the abrogation of the VFA, we assure our countrymen that we will again, as our forebears did in their time, valiantly face contemporary threats to national security, terrorism, and other transnational crimes," he added.

Arevalo also assure that the military will continue to fulfill its mandate to secure the people and protect its sovereignty.

"We will secure our people and defend our country with the relatively and modestly modern AFP we have now," he said.

"But as to the way forward for other branches and agencies of government like increasing the budget for AFP Modernization, that is not for us to comment on," he added. Robina Asido/DMS